Spammers are using a sick tactic to entice people into clicking on a malicious file attached to recent e-mails. The tactic is to announce the kidnapping of a child, and offer photographic evidence as proof of life. The photo is in fact a Trojan, which, if installed, will load other Malware onto the host system.
Think twice before you open the latest email attachments.(IMG:Sophos)
The screen captures below show an example of the e-mail received by the spam addresses used at The Tech Herald (along with headers). AVG Free is snatching the malicious file as 'Trojan horse Dropper.Generic.AAVR,' however, other engines such as Sophos will detect it as 'Troj/Resex-Fam.'
Reading the actual e-mails is harmless. "However, if users open the attachment they will be infecting their Windows computer, and giving hackers an open door to take control and steal information," warns Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Once a PC is commandeered, criminals can spy, steal or launch attacks against other parts of the net."
Sophos went gonzo over the newest scam in a news release. However, when it explained that there are no limits to how far criminals will go to get financial reward, it is right on the money.
"There's no other way of putting it -- this attack is sick. [Criminals] have no qualms about exploiting a family's natural instinct to defend its most vulnerable members. Hopefully people will pause before opening the attachment, but the reflex action of some may be to click first and think later," continued Cluley.
Again, Sophos makes a good point, this is just sick. However, it's doubtful that parents will go running through the house looking for their little ones, or click on a file just to see if their child has indeed been kidnapped. Most parents will simply look at the other computer in the house and see their kid's online using MySpace (but that’s another can of worms entirely).
The best defense is to make sure your anti-virus protection is current. Doing so will ensure you are protected from this latest e-mail blitz.
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