Celebrity spam
Hot on the heels of the deaths of two high-profile celebrities this past week, spammers are having a field day exploiting the curiosity of the general public. Following the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, security software company Symantec has issued a warning to consumers to brace themselves for a flurry of emails claiming to contain news, video and more on the celebrities.
Already Symantec has observed a spoof email that purports to come from CNN, but which contains a link to a malicious Web page. If you click on the link, you’ll be prompted to download and run a file that installs malicious code onto your PC via a fake Flash Player.
In the lead-up to both stars’ funerals, you can bet your life that the incidence of these emails will escalate. So, be on your guard and don’t open any emails of this nature — delete them immediately.
As always, make sure that your security software is kept up to date, and never click on links in emails unless you are absolutely certain of their authenticity.
Gail Lipscombe has worked for some of Australia's hottest tech magazines for over 10 years. In her blog, she focuses on demystifying technology, gadgets and the web for average consumers.