Carbon market hacked
The international carbon market has been hit by a
phishing attack which saw an estimated 250,000 permits worth over 3 million
euros stolen this week.
The scam involves six German companies and meant
emissions trading registries in a number of EU countries had to shut
down. In the global carbon market, companies can buy permits
from other firms, allowing them to emit greenhouse gases. The phishers
created fake emissions registries and sent
e-mails to thousands of firms around the globe, including New Zealand,
Norway
and Australia.
Seven out of 2,000 German firms targeted are known to
have fallen victim to the scam, handing over registration details which allowed
the thieves to steal their emissions permits. Registries in Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Greece,
closed after details of the attacks emerged. Registries in Austria, the
Netherlands and Norway were temporarily suspended but reopened the same day.