A UK police force is currently suffering an unusual type of attack.
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is being carried out on the telephone lines of the Cambridgeshire Police Force.
This somewhat unique attack is caused by a hoax email currently being sent to apparently thousands of people.
The email claims to be confirming their order for an Apple iPod (a portable music player) and that their credit card has been debited to the tune of £399.
People who receive the email are advised to call the number contained in the email if they have any queries. As you can imagine, everyone has been calling the number to complain that they've not ordered an Apple iPod.
The number in question however, actually belongs to the main switchboard of the Cambridgeshire Police Force.
Deputy Chief Constable, Alan Given said in a statement,
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to affect the service provided by the force. If you have received such an e-mail we would advise you to ignore it and not ring the number of customer services that is listed. However, you should monitor your bank statement and if a similar amount is taken from it, contact your local force as soon as possible. It is too early to say who might be behind this or why they are doing it, but we will obviously be investigating."
The delivery address in the email seems to be completely fake, as Silver Road in London is home to Daytona Raceway.
The contents of the email reads:
Subject: Transaction Receipt (UKCards)
From: "UKCards"
Please note: All charges to your statement will appear in the name "UKCARDS LIMITED".
Order Information
Amount: £399.95
Currency: GBP
Merchant Name: HUNTINGDON MAIL ORDER
Description: iPod Music Player 40GB
Customer Service
Telephone: 01480 xxxxxx (number removed by I.T. Vibe)
Email: N/A
Delivery Address
47 Silver Street, London, NW1 5TR
If you have any questions on the delivery of this order or product details please contact the merchant directly using the above details.
The Cambridgeshire Police Force are advising people not to act upon or reply to the email, but to simply delete it.
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