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Microsoft targets ‘phishers’

Lydia Parnes, right, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, listens as Aaron Kornblum, Microsoft Internet Safety Enforcement attorney, announces 117 lawsuits against
Associated Press
Lydia Parnes, right, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, listens as Aaron Kornblum, Microsoft Internet Safety Enforcement attorney, announces 117 lawsuits against

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. on Thursday filed 117 federal lawsuits against unnamed defendants, accusing them of a high-tech form of identity theft known as “phishing.”

The lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, accuses the “John Doe” defendants of using mass e-mail or pop-up ads to coerce consumers into revealing personal information such as bank account information, passwords or social security numbers.

The Redmond-based software company said it filed the lawsuits in hopes of uncovering some of the largest operators.

In phishing scams, the Internet-based communications often purport to be from legitimate organizations, such as banks, and use that perception of a trusted relationship to get people to reveal personal information.

To avoid such identity theft, experts warn that users should be wary of giving out any personal information via e-mail or pop-up ads, especially if someone contacts them unexpectedly.

Users also should be wary of clicking on e-mail links, which could divert a user to a malicious site that will then steal personal information.

Shares of Microsoft rose a penny to close at $24.17 in Thursday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, near the low end of a 52-week range of $23.82 to $30.20.