AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
BBB WARNS AGAINST SWINE FLU SCAMS
Scammers Are Creating Their Own Epidemic Of Spam E-mails
Anchorage, Alaska ? April 28, 2009 ? Relying on reports from online security
experts, Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on the lookout for
fraudulent emails and Web sites trying to take advantage of the current swine flu
outbreak.
?Scammers read newspapers, watch TV and surf the Internet and they know that by
using a hook from the day?s top headlines, that they?ll be able to catch lots of fish,?
said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western
Washington. ?Right now, issues associated with swine flu and a potential pandemic
are of global interest and that means scammers have a very large pond to go
phishing in.?
According to McAfee Avert Labs, an online security company, spammers began
pumping out e-mails as soon as the first accounts of swine flu were being reported in
the news, accounting for two percent of all spam messages. The messages include
such subject lines as, ?Madonna caught swine flu!? and ?Swine flu in Hollywood!? The
company reports that the e-mails do not contain malware but often link to online
pharmacies.
According to F-Secure Corp., another online security company, more than 250
Web sites with the term ?swine flu? have been registered within the first few days
following the announcement of the outbreak and predict that the scams artists are
preparing to use such Web sites in a variety of different online scams. F-Secure also
reports that one Web site is already selling a ?Swine Flu Survival Guide? PDF for
$19.95.
BBB offers the following advice to avoid swine flu scams:
? Avoid opening any e-mail from an unknown source and do not click on any
links in the body of the e-mail or open any attachments. Instead, delete the
e-mail or report it to the Federal Trade Commission by forwarding the e-mail
to spam@uce.gov.
? Don?t believe online offers for vaccinations against swine flu because a
vaccine does not exist.
? Consumers are encouraged to check their state?s Department of Health Web
sites for updates and further information concerning this issue:
Federal: www.cdc.gov/swineflu
Alaska: www.pandemicflu.alaska.gov
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/04/28/15/Swine_flu_scams.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf
Scammers Are Creating Their Own Epidemic Of Spam E-mails
Anchorage, Alaska ? April 28, 2009 ? Relying on reports from online security
experts, Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on the lookout for
fraudulent emails and Web sites trying to take advantage of the current swine flu
outbreak.
?Scammers read newspapers, watch TV and surf the Internet and they know that by
using a hook from the day?s top headlines, that they?ll be able to catch lots of fish,?
said Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon, and Western
Washington. ?Right now, issues associated with swine flu and a potential pandemic
are of global interest and that means scammers have a very large pond to go
phishing in.?
According to McAfee Avert Labs, an online security company, spammers began
pumping out e-mails as soon as the first accounts of swine flu were being reported in
the news, accounting for two percent of all spam messages. The messages include
such subject lines as, ?Madonna caught swine flu!? and ?Swine flu in Hollywood!? The
company reports that the e-mails do not contain malware but often link to online
pharmacies.
According to F-Secure Corp., another online security company, more than 250
Web sites with the term ?swine flu? have been registered within the first few days
following the announcement of the outbreak and predict that the scams artists are
preparing to use such Web sites in a variety of different online scams. F-Secure also
reports that one Web site is already selling a ?Swine Flu Survival Guide? PDF for
$19.95.
BBB offers the following advice to avoid swine flu scams:
? Avoid opening any e-mail from an unknown source and do not click on any
links in the body of the e-mail or open any attachments. Instead, delete the
e-mail or report it to the Federal Trade Commission by forwarding the e-mail
to spam@uce.gov.
? Don?t believe online offers for vaccinations against swine flu because a
vaccine does not exist.
? Consumers are encouraged to check their state?s Department of Health Web
sites for updates and further information concerning this issue:
Federal: www.cdc.gov/swineflu
Alaska: www.pandemicflu.alaska.gov
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/04/28/15/Swine_flu_scams.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf