Bursts of viral e-mails are sweeping across the Internet and landing in unsuspecting e-mail users’ inboxes, touting bogus messages concerning shipment mistakes, swine flu outbreaks, and even news of Michael Jackson’s death.
A stunt last week prompted users to download a so-called government form to resolve a discrepancy about underreported income. The email claimed to be from the IRS, and when users downloaded the form, it actually gave control of their computer to the hacker, who instantly began sending copies of the viral message to the victims’ contacts. Security firms were able to put an end to the bogus campaign within a few hours, but security experts expect the spam bursts to continue to pose an intensified risk to consumers.
After a PC has been infected, it’s nearly impossible to disinfect it without completely erasing the hard drive. Experts recommend keeping anti-virus protection up to date, installing all software updates, using strong e-mail spam filters and to avoid falling for generically addressed messages prompting you to download something or open an attachment.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2009-09-16-hackers-email-spam_N.htm
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