Virus that could rob your bank

Online bank customers could lose millions of pounds to a new superstealthy virus which empties their accounts in seconds, experts warned yesterday.

The virus installs itself invisibly on a user's computer and springs into action on visiting a bank website.

It records which keys are being pressed to obtain details such as account numbers and passwords.

The virus - dubbed the Trofger Trojan - even takes a snapshot of what is being displayed on the monitor every few seconds.

Details are sent back to hackers, who can use the data to break into bank accounts and steal money.

Trofger conceals itself in unrelated software and can be downloaded during visits to online message boards, pornographic websites or by accidentally opening spam e-mail.

The virus, which was first detected in Britain last month, has targeted online customers at Abbey, Barclays, Cahoot, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Nationwide and Woolwich. 'The problem is a huge one for the banks and could potentially be very costly,' said Graham Cluley, of the anti-virus company Sophos.

'The virus is a very sophisticated one and we think a large Russian hacking gang is behind it.'

Mr Cluley warned there had recently been an explosion in the number of such attacks on home computers.

Matthew Timms, Internet director at Lloyds TSB, said this was the first time trojans had been used to attack British banks.

He added that Lloyds TSB customers were never asked for all of their details while they were online, so hackers would not be able to access private accounts since they would be able to obtain only partial information.

But Mr Timms warned the bank's

1.5million customers to ensure their computers were protected by anti-virus software.

Abbey and NatWest said they had put warning notices on their websites for their customers.