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Short-Lived Spam Blast Scams Plaguing E-Mail Accounts

by Warren Riddle on September 17, 2009 at 03:25 PM

A new IRS-inspired e-mail phishing scam emerged last week and hit accounts across the nation, USA Today reports. Unlike previous IRS-related scams, which enticed people with promises of free stimulus money, last week's spam blast attempted to ensnare targets with scare tactics.

The e-mail message, which appeared to be from the IRS, alerted people to the supposed fact that earnings had been under-reported and, in order to resolve the matter, the intended target needed to download a special government form. With the download, though, the perps could take over their mark's computer and continue to distribute the message to everyone in the victim's contact list. The compromised computers could then become part of a botnet (a network of infected computers that scammers remotely control) in order to continue blasting spam and stealing personal information.

The duration of the attack was only one day, but according to Cisco security expert Henry Stern, such "hit-and-run bursts are so fast that the damage is done before word can get out." Because of sudden blasts that Stern says "beat slow-moving reactive spam filters," it's incredibly important to diligently watch for e-mail messages that attempt to capitalize on current trends. While the messages may change, the techniques basically remain the same, so take a look at the Switched list of the most popular e-mail scams for some additional peace of mind. [From: USA Today]
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http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
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Tags: botnet, malware, scam, scareware, security, spam blast, SpamBlast

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