Michael Jackson spam spreads, malware attacks likely

Within hours of the death of pop star Michael Jackson, spam trading on his demise hit inboxes, a security firm said today as it warned that more was in the offing.Just eight hours after news broke about Jackson, U.K.-based Sophos started tracking the first wave of Jackson spam, which used a subject head of “Confidential — Michael Jackson.” The spam wasn’t pitching a product or leading users to a phishing or malware Web site, but instead was trying to dupe users into replying to the message in order to collect e-mail addresses and verify them as legitimate.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9134895
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062609-michael-jackson-spam-spreads-malware.htmlAlso see:Celebrity deaths touch off spam frenzy
Security experts are warning users to brace for a flood of spam regarding the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) has already begun to receive reports of spam and malicious e-mail attacks targeting the deaths of actress Fawcett and pop legend Jackson.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2244952/celebrity-deaths-touch-spamSophos warns of Michael Jackson spam emails
Hackers are using Michael Jackson’s death to try and trick people into disclosing personal details, says Sophos.According to the security vendor, less than 24 hours after the death of the 50-year-old singer, web users have received emails that claim to contain ‘vital information’ about his death.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=118132
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062609-sophos-warns-of-michael-jackson.html
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309082/Michael Jackson Death Spurs Spam, Viruses
Less than 24 hours after Michael Jackson’s death, fraudsters are exploiting public interest with their attempts to spread spam and malware. Security researchers say they’ve observed hundreds of cases of malicious messages masquerading as information about Jackson’s death. Some of them, they say, popped up within minutes of the news.Avoiding these threats isn’t difficult, though: It’s just a matter of staying one step ahead. Here are some of the attackers’ tactics and what you can do to keep from falling victim.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167479/.htmlJackson, Fawcett deaths exploited for Web scams
The cybersecurity arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned on Friday that Web scammers were seeking to take advantage of the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett.US-CERT said it is “aware of public reports of an increased number of spam campaigns, phishing attacks, and malicious code targeting the recent deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.”
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/jackson-fawcett-deaths-exploited-for-web-scams-20090627-d03z.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/jackson-fawcett-deaths-exploited-for-web-scams-20090627-d03z.html