LONDON, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- A computer "trojan" virus that hackers use to steal passwords to Internet users' online bank accounts is spreading quickly, British experts say.
Security experts say the "Clampi" virus infects PC users who visit Web sites carrying malicious code, then sits unnoticed until victims call up their bank account sites, The Times of London reported Monday. Then the trojan activates, sending passwords to hackers who can then transfer money to their accounts or buy goods with stolen credit card information.
Orla Cox, a security expert with the British firm Symantec, told the newspaper: "Clampi is a complex threat. People are only just beginning to understand how it operates."
Customer sites operated by the big British banks are among the 4,500 Web pages that Clampi monitors, reportedly making it one of the most dangerous and pervasive viruses ever to be devised for Windows operating systems.
The Times said security experts warn Clampi activates when users visit Web sites run by retailers, mortgage lenders, banks, the government, online casinos, wire transfer companies and others.
