forwardone
01-18-05, 09:35 AM
This is one to be aware of when you receive your emails! :(
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=57213
Virus experts at the U.K-based security firm Sophos said an email plea for donations to help with the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster is a mass-mailing worm.
They said that the W32/VBSun-A worm spreads via email, tempting innocent users into clicking onto its malicious attachment by pretending to be information about how to donate to a tsunami relief effort. However, running the attached file will not only forward the virus to other internet users but can also initiate a denial-of-service attack against a German hacking website.
Emails sent by the worm have the following characteristics:
Subject line:
Tsunami Donation! Please help!
Message text:
Please help us with your donation and view the attachment below! We need you!
Attachment name:
tsunami.exe
"Duping innocent users into believing that they may be helping the tsunami disaster aid efforts shows hackers stooping to a new low," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
"This gruesome insensitivity is a despicable ploy to get curious computer users to run malicious code on their computers. Everyone should be wary of unsolicited email attachments, and visit the established charity websites instead if they wish to assist those suffering as a result of the disaster," said Cluely.
W32/VBSun-A is not the first virus to try and take advantage of the tsunami disaster in an attempt to spread. The VBS/Geven-B worm tried to spread a message earlier this month that the tsunami was God's revenge on "people who did bad on earth". There have also been a number of email scams distributed by criminals posing as victims in an attempt to steal money.
This comes amid reports of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arresting a man responsible for spamming for donations claiming to be from the Mercy Corps, an international group of humanitarian agencies.
Security firm Trend Micro also identified a few phishing scams, where imposters tried to take advantage of public compassion for the tsunami victims: Nigerian phishers posing as a Singapore charity asking for $100 as donations, another claiming to be a rich businessman with esophageal cancer and $1.2 billion asking for bank accounts to transfer the cash, a Sri Lankan fisherman asking for money to be sent to Holland to help buy himself fishing boats, and a "helpless father from Phuket".
Geoff
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=57213
Virus experts at the U.K-based security firm Sophos said an email plea for donations to help with the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster is a mass-mailing worm.
They said that the W32/VBSun-A worm spreads via email, tempting innocent users into clicking onto its malicious attachment by pretending to be information about how to donate to a tsunami relief effort. However, running the attached file will not only forward the virus to other internet users but can also initiate a denial-of-service attack against a German hacking website.
Emails sent by the worm have the following characteristics:
Subject line:
Tsunami Donation! Please help!
Message text:
Please help us with your donation and view the attachment below! We need you!
Attachment name:
tsunami.exe
"Duping innocent users into believing that they may be helping the tsunami disaster aid efforts shows hackers stooping to a new low," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
"This gruesome insensitivity is a despicable ploy to get curious computer users to run malicious code on their computers. Everyone should be wary of unsolicited email attachments, and visit the established charity websites instead if they wish to assist those suffering as a result of the disaster," said Cluely.
W32/VBSun-A is not the first virus to try and take advantage of the tsunami disaster in an attempt to spread. The VBS/Geven-B worm tried to spread a message earlier this month that the tsunami was God's revenge on "people who did bad on earth". There have also been a number of email scams distributed by criminals posing as victims in an attempt to steal money.
This comes amid reports of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arresting a man responsible for spamming for donations claiming to be from the Mercy Corps, an international group of humanitarian agencies.
Security firm Trend Micro also identified a few phishing scams, where imposters tried to take advantage of public compassion for the tsunami victims: Nigerian phishers posing as a Singapore charity asking for $100 as donations, another claiming to be a rich businessman with esophageal cancer and $1.2 billion asking for bank accounts to transfer the cash, a Sri Lankan fisherman asking for money to be sent to Holland to help buy himself fishing boats, and a "helpless father from Phuket".
Geoff