AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 11 > Entry

Bill targets Internet “phishers”

By Carlos Campos | Thursday, January 11, 2007, 10:52 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia General Assembly is going after Internet “phishers.”

Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon) introduced Senate Bill 24 today, a bill that criminalizes the practice of sending false e-mails to lure unsuspecting consumers into giving up personal data.

Scam artists send out authentic-looking e-mails, in an attempt to extract confidential information such as bank account and credit card numbers, to Internet users. The e-mails often direct consumers to phony Web sites that claim to represent legitimate businesses. The practice is known as “phishing,” — luring victims into identity theft and fraud.

SB 24 makes such scams a felony, and establishes penalties ranging from prison sentences of one to 20 years to fines of $1,000 to $500,000.

The bill was assigned to a Senate committee today.

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