Once again bringing the fight to the doorsteps of those that prey upon Internet users, Microsoft has brought a total of 129 lawsuits against phishers, primarily those looking to steal bank account information. The lawsuits were filed in Europe and the Middle East, and are part of the "Global Phishing Enforcement Initiative" that was launched earlier this year. While Microsoft is an IT company and you wouldn't expect them to get involved in this aspect, a lot of phishing occurs due to exploits and this is one way for Microsoft to gain credit as a viable opposer of these activities. The lawsuits include both criminal and civil complaints. Interestingly enough, it seems many of the phishers are very young:
While criminal complaints are aimed at what Microsoft believes to be real criminals, the civil lawsuits are aimed mainly at young people without criminal intent. For them, settlements of 1,000 to 2,000 euros ($1,290-$2,570) are deemed to be enough of a deterrent, Microsoft said.
The suits were filed in Turkey, Germany and France, Dubai, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands and Britain.