I wouldn’t usually blog a press release but I’ve just been passed one which shows some pretty interesting figures. The report lists, in descending order, which banks are the subject of most phishing emails. It was drawn up by Clear My Mail – an anti spam company. The league table of the spammer’s favourite banks is headed up by NatWest. There was, according to the firm, a spike in the number of phishing attacks launched before Christmas.

1. Natwest (41% of all phishing emails blocked were targeting Natwest Bank)
2. Citibank (27%)
3. HSBC (11%)
4. Abbey (6%)
5. Lloyds TSB (4%)
6. Pay Pal (internet transaction banking for likes of Ebay – 2%)
7. Royal Bank of Scotland (1%)
8. Nationwide (1%)
9. Halifax (0.8%)
10. MBNA (0.5%)

According to the Telegraph, the UK’s biggest banks are (in order of profit)

HSBC (£12bn), Royal Bank of Scotland – which owns Nat West - (£9.36bn), Barclays (£6.93bn), HBOS (£5.46bn) and Lloyds TSB (£3.68bn)

The phishers appear to be acting rather indiscriminately. The fact that Citibank is ranked as second in the bad guy’s hit list but the bank is a comparatively small playing on the UK high street suggests the bad guys aren’t tailoring their attacks to precisely. And this can only be a good thing.

Personally, when time allows, I feel compelled to follow phishing emails to the spoof website and enter fictitious details. I operate under the non de plume of Mr Weasel Stains. Sort code 666, account number 1234567.

As ever, reprinted in full from the press release, just to make it clear - it's all in context. I'm pretty sure this one's just a joke (and by pretty sure, I mean 'oh, please...'), but it amused us enough to consider it worth sharing.

Burial Service for Old Mobile Cellular Phones Announced by Leading UK Ringtones and Java Games Reseller MobileFun.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM, England, January 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The UK's leading mobile ringtones and mobile games company announces new burial service for old mobile phones.

Customers can post their old phones to Mobile Fun Limited and for a small fee (approx. GBP20GBP) the old phones will be taken and buried in Russia, in the middle of KMA (Kursk Magnetic Anomaly).

Kursk Magnetic Anomaly is by far the biggest and strongest magnetic anomaly in the World because of an astronomical amount of iron ore underground, very close to the surface. Even compasses do not work in the KMA.

Mobile Fun has signed a short-term contract with local company KMABS Inc. based in Stariy Oscol (an important metallurgical town, in the very hart of KMA).

"We are happy to expand our budding mobile phone burial service internationally with the invaluable help of Mobile Fun Ltd" said CEO of KMABS Inc. "...Russia has taken to mobile phones in a huge way and is leading other countries in more unusual mobile phone services and products."

"For an additional GBP5GBP your old mobile phone can send a final farewell SMS text message from Russia to your new mobile" added Matthew Page (Mobile Fun's Mobile Content and PSMS Manager).

"The reason we selected the world's biggest magnetic anomaly is not just for environmental reasons to minimise the potential electromagnetic radiation impact of a large number of mobile phones buried in one location", said Ruslan G Fedorovsky, Mobile Funs newly appointed Head of Mobile."...There also is an interesting, although controversial idea increasing in popularity amongst Russian mobile phone users that over time, some personal electromagnetic 'zen' becomes trapped inside old mobile phones.

"I am positive that huge magnetic radiation of KMA will be strong enough to release any trapped electromagnetic subconscious psyche." categorically states Mr. Andrey Koltakov ('BONIFATZI') the Russian radio-advertising tycoon and popular womens lifestyle guru who claims to be behind this strange new-age belief.

Haha. Well, at least it's different. True or not, all the names in the preceding press release have of course been added to the official PC Plus People To Slap In The Face With A Custard Pie list. Either way, I think we finally know the plot of Stalker 2: Call Me, Don't Irradiate Me.