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Scammers Use Concorde Crash In Identity Theft Scheme

April 11, 2006
Experts at computer security firm SophosLabs are warning computer users to be wary of a new email scam, which dupes recipients into believing they could receive millions from a bank account belonging to a victim of the Concorde air disaster.

The real purpose of the email, the company says, is for criminals to steal their identity and make a profit.

The emails purport to be from a chartered accounting firm claiming to have found a bank account containing £20.5 million belonging to one of the disaster's victims, Christian Eich.

Eich, a 57-year-old worker for BMW, died along with his wife and two children in the Air France Flight 4590 crash at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport in July 2000. The scammer states that unless claimed by the end of the quarter, the money will be used to buy weapons.

The email -- which links to news reports concerning Eich's death to give the scam more credibility -- urges recipients to respond quickly so that 25 percent of the money can be transferred. However, Sophos warns users that this is likely to lead to a request for personal details or an advance payment.

Such information can then be used to steal money from bank accounts and commit identity fraud.

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