Authorities accused of tolerating crime as state firm's name used by 'phishers'
Chinese authorities have been accused of tolerating electronic criminals who target German bank customers by sending them fake e-mails requesting their user names and passwords in impeccable German.
State-owned mainland oil firm Sinopec is investigating the claims by a German IT expert, who said that some of the e-mails had Sinopec links, although they probably originated with a third party.
The so-called 'phishing' attacks have been directed at customers of Dresdner Bank and Sparkasse Bank. Some clients have fallen for the scam and have had their entire accounts emptied in seconds after revealing confidential details.
Rene Holzer, the manager of the Nutzwerk company that unearthed the phishing scam, accused Chinese authorities of tolerating electronic crime.
'Attacks on internet users in Germany and probably in the whole of western Europe are being conducted through state-controlled internet service providers and telecommunication companies in the People's Republic of China,' he said. 'State-controlled internet authorities are allowing criminal gangs to register anonymously thus adding to the wave of phishing attacks.'