Is "phishing" illegal, even if it didn't work?

Question

Would you report it if it is someone your had a relationship with in the past, who screwed you over? And then THREE years later, with NO contact, sends you an email invite link to a dating site, to add to their friends list-end result-last page-phish? I'm sorta pissed.?

BORAF, NO-it asked (the last page) if I wanted to be able to email my people for free, then asked for my Yahoo address, then my Yahoo PASSWORD, it's a phish, my room-mate works for pre-paid legal and she said it was too. they do identity theft protection sales too. Plus she doesn't respond when I just email and ask her to just GIVE me her progfile handle to check out her profile?

Peekay, its an email from an ex-fiance from 3 years ago-for a year and a half.-with a link that leads to a phish that she pasted and told me to go check her profile out at. a dating site-invite to be friends. She is trying to get Schwab info or other financials info. It's called PHISHING

Thanks dan S. See you tomorrow with your best answer.

Answer 1

YES, I am POSITIVE it is a crime.
"Phishing" is identity theft. Attempted identity theft is still a crime. The anti-phising legislation of 2004 (see note at the end of this answer) says that even the creation of a phishing email is a crime; you don't have to send it for it to be a crime. The penalties range up to 5 years in prison and up to a $250.000 fine.

This site: http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/phishing-scams.html
Offers some advanced hints on how to report and track a phishing scam. I would visit this site and follow the advanced steps before you contact anyone.

According to this site: http://safecomputing.umn.edu/safepractices/phishing.html
"How do I report Phishing scams?
Please report phishing scams to the Federal Trade Commission, at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft and the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center, at http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

If you see a phishing attack that specifically targets the University of Minnesota, please contact OIT Security and Assurance at [e-mail]. Please don't report phishing attacks aimed at your bank or E-Bay (etc.) to [e-mail], report them to the FTC. See the paragraph above (it offers advice on how to avoid a phishing scam)."

What to do if you have fallen victim to a Phishing scam
If you think you have fallen victim to a phishing scam, there is excellent advice on what to do at http://www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs2.html."

According to: http://www.antiphishing.org/
This is the site to go to report a phishing scam: http://www.antiphishing.org/report_phishing.html
(The dot.org means that it is government sponsored)

You may not be the only victim, so if they get a lot of reports then they can add multiple counts to the crime, calling for harsher punishment.

According to this site: http://www.internetnews.com/commentary/article.php/3382421
"Convictions under the Anti-Phishing Act of 2004 could mean up to five years in prison -- a stiff sentence -- and a $250,000 fine. Plus the bill is proactive: Charges could be filed against phishers just for attempting an online scam, so law enforcement doesn't have to wait for a victim to be defrauded."

According to this site: http://www.internetnews.com/commentary/article.php/3382421
"Convictions under the Anti-Phishing Act of 2004 could mean up to five years in prison -- a stiff sentence -- and a $250,000 fine. Plus the bill is proactive: Charges could be filed against phishers just for attempting an online scam, so law enforcement doesn't have to wait for a victim to be defrauded."

This quote if from the actual bill that was signed into law in 2004
As introduced by SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200407/070904c.html
"The Anti-Phishing Act of 2004 would enter two new crimes into the U.S. Code. The first prohibits the creation or procurement of a website that represents itself to be that of a legitimate business, and that attempts to induce the victim to divulge personal information, with the intent to commit a crime of fraud or identity theft. The second prohibits the creation or procurement of an email that represents itself to be that of a legitimate business, and that attempts to induce the victim to divulge personal information, with the intent to commit a crime of fraud or identity theft."

Answer 2

Dear,

Anti-Phishing Bill Introduced Just To Make It Even More Illegal

Maybe I missed the note, but I was under the impression that "phishing" (tricking people into filling out their personal info into a site they believe is a financial site like Paypal or their bank, but which is really the scammer's own site) was already pretty damn illegal. After all, it is tricking someone into revealing their bank account info, which will then most likely be used to steal money from them. However, just for good measure, a new anti-phishing bill has been introduced in the Senate, making sure it's even more illegal. The argument for doing this is that it's currently difficult to prosecute those scammers involved with phishing, but it's not entirely clear why. It seems like setting up a website to defraud people out of their bank account or credit card info should be an open and shut case of fraud.


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Answer 3

Is Phishing Illegal

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is "phishing" illegal, even if it didn't work?
Would you report it if it is someone your had a relationship with in the past, who screwed you over? And then THREE years later, with NO contact, sends you an email invite link to a dating site, to add to their friends list-end result-last page-phish? I'm sorta pissed.?

Answer 5

lol.

is murder illegal even if it didn't work?

incidentally, phishing isn't just sending someone a link - it's sending an email pretending to be from a corporation such as a bank with a link to a faked site which tries to con you out of your bank details so they can be used for fraud.

what you're talking about is an unsolicited email, of which billions are sent every day.

Answer 6

yes, and yes phishing is illegal, what u want to do is check ur bills and credit cards to see if u've been phished. their are tons of ways of tricking people for phishing. if a site does something u don't normally expect like their asking to put ur address and such and they put something harsh like ur account will be terminated then u know ur in being phished

Answer 7

It is not illegal to ask someone to give you their personal information (which is what phishing is, just dressed up). What you do with that information is where the legality comes into question.

I think phishers are total scum, but they technically haven't done anything illegal by getting you to voluntarily offer up your info - only when they use it.

Answer 8

"email invite link to a dating site" it's invitation not phishing

Answer 9

I don't think it's illegal, just annoying as hell, could be possible too that they were hacked, and the infiltrator picked up old email lists? Just a thought. :)



In THAT case I would think!! :o