As we suspected they would, cybercriminals have launched spam campaigns to try and profit from the buzz surrounding Hurricane Sandy as she wreaks havoc along the Eastern Seaboard.So far it appears that the spam emails lead to survey scams and do not contain any malware, but that can – and likely will – change in the future.
For now, just be wary of any emails that carry the following subject lines, or ones similar to it:
- Sandy Got you down? We’ve got you covered!
- Don’t let the storm ruin your diner plans
- Avoid the Storm, Eat at chilis!
Chester Wisniewski of Sophos notes that the bodies of the emails are anything but interesting and will likely contain a link going to a website designed to resemble Wikipedia.
Screenshot Credit: Sophos
At that point you will be presented with a popup saying you have the chance to win a free iPad, iPhone 5, or MacBook. All you have to do to get it is hand over a butt-load of personal information and complete a bunch of “reward offers” that typically involve signing up for some paid service or applying for a credit card.
That may not sound so bad to some of you, but when you take into account that scammers can use that information to commit identity theft, sign you up for expensive SMS plans (they ask for your cellphone number), or create phishing attacks designed just for you – it doesn’t seem like such a good idea. And you might not even get your free gift on top of it!
If you happen to receive Sandy-themed spam, it is advised that you:
- Do not click on any hyperlinks or download attached files.
- Delete the email immediately.
Stay safe, everyone!
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