Spam Gangs Make Millions by Targeting Swine Flu Fears
Usually when we're getting spammed and scammed by fake online pharmacies, we're being offered steep discounts on Viagra. But Russian gangs are turning their attention from 79-percent Pfizer discounts to offers for Tamiflu, the antiviral medication used to combat both the seasonal and swine flu.
Security firm Sophos claims to have intercepted hundreds of millions of fake flu-related spam mails and Web sites. The trend is particularly worrisome, since despite low infection rates and even lower mortality rates, H1N1 (or swine flu) still inspires panic in much of the population. The gangs are preying on these fears by operating sites with seemingly legitimate brand names, like "Canadian Pharmacy," according to Reuters. The sites sell counterfeit drugs to gullible customers, but Sophos also worries that those sales are part of a larger scam that may put consumers' credit card and personal information in jeopardy.
