Australian Model Scam Spammed Out

Security firm Sophos is warning of an identity phishing campaign currently being spammed out in Australia.

The campaign claims to be from an Australian modeling and casting agency and invites applications from potential agents, models and actors for TV and film work. The email is a two-fold crime, stealing its corporate identity (and much of its advertising text) from a legitimate Australian business, and asking its victims to give up their personal identification data under false pretences.

Applicants are asked to email off their personal details and a photograph to be considered for any of a number of possible roles. Although the agency mentioned in the email is a registered Australian company, the message does not really come from the firm and contact information given in the scam is a throw-away overseas email address.

"Treat your personal data as valuable," urged Paul Ducklin, Sophos’s head of technology, Asia Pacific. "And if you are a parent, teach your children the risks of handing out personal contact details over the internet on the say-so of an email. We have seen a number of recent convictions around the world involving young girls stalked and seduced by online pedophiles. We have also seen a group of young Sydneysiders suborned into accepting electronic transfers into their bank accounts from cybercriminals, withdrawing this money in cash in return for a cut of the proceeds, and then being caught and charged themselves."

With the continuing popularity of TV shows such as 'Australian Idol', for which anyone can audition, emails asking 'if you’ve been told you should be on television by family or friends' and 'maybe you’ve thought you could but didn’t know where to start” can sound appealing.

"But if an email sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Don’t try, don’t buy, don’t reply," continued Ducklin.