The public is warned not to give out vital information over the InternetA Clatsop County woman who thought she was dealing with eBay was tricked into divulging personal financial information over the Internet. Cyberthieves then used the information to steal $24,000 from her checking account at U.S. Bank.

Alan Palmrose, a detective with the Clatsop County Sheriff’s office, said the woman received a “spoof” e-mail purporting to be from eBay, asking her to update her account information, including her credit card and bank account numbers. The e-mail had eBay logos, Palmrose said, and looked very authentic. On May 10, just 24 hours after the woman responded, thieves made a fraudulent electronic deposit into her checking account, then used her debit card to withdraw $24,000 from an ATM machine at a Mini-Mart in Tucson, Ariz., Palmrose said.

Palmrose notified the U.S. Department of Justice, and an investigation is ongoing. Authorities are especially interested in how anyone could get an ATM machine to cough up that much cash.

“It’s better than robbing a bank,” Palmrose said ruefully.

Palmrose said the public should be aware that reputable businesses don’t ask for personal information over the Internet, and he warns people not to respond to suspicious e-mail. He said several other local residents have been victimized by Internet scams. Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at (503) 325-8635.

If the criminals in this case are caught, they’ll face aggravated theft charges in Clatsop County as well as federal charges, Palmrose said. He doesn’t know if it’s one person acting alone or a large organization, or whether the ATM camera got a picture of the suspect.

Cyberthieves, also known as “phishers,” pretend to be trusted service providers, when they really are fishing for personal information, hence their name. The crime is on the rise. Phishing attacks are reaching epidemic proportions according to a story, “The Phisher Kings,” on the Netcraft News Web site. Of 10 countries with so-called “phishing sites,” the United States tops the list, hosting 42 percent of them. Korea is next with 16 percent. Only 5 percent originate in Canada. The United Kingdom is last on the list, with just 1.3 percent of phishing sites.

As they used to say on the old TV show, Lost in Space, “Warning, warning, warning!”