FDIC Phishing Scam

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is warning consumers, businesses and financial institutions to be aware of fraudulent e-mails allegedly from the Federal Reserve Bank. The fraudulent e-mails claim that a phishing attack has affected the Fedwire system and that restrictions are in place. The e-mails further instruct recipients to click on links within the e-mail for additional information.
The fraudulent e-mails have included various spoofed names and addresses in the “From:” line of the messages, including “Bank System Administration,” “System Administration” and “Federal Reserve Bank.” The e-mails contain the following message verbatim:
 
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
Important:
You're getting this letter in connection with new directives issued by U.S. Treasury Department. The directives concern U.S. Federal Wire online payments.
On On January 1, 2009 a large-scaled phishing attack started and has been still lasting. A great number of banks and credit unions is affected by this attack and quantity of illegal wire transfers has reached an extremely high level.
U.S. Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in common worked out a complex of immediate actions for the highest possible reduction of fraudulent operations. We regret to inform you that definite restrictions will be applied to all Federal Wire transfers from January 6 till January 16.
Here you can get more detailed information regarding the affected banks and U.S. Treasury Department restrictions:
The message contains links to two Web pages that attempt to load malicious Trojan horse programs onto end users’ computers.
 
Gladys Johnson
Compliance Officer
Reliabank Dakota
PO Box 128
211 Main Street
Estelline, SD  57234