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FBI Warns of Holiday Cyber Scams

Date: December 02, 2008
Source: PCworld.com


With cyber Monday comes an FBI warning against spam containing malware and phishing attempts that appear to be greeting cards and ads for shopping bargains.

E-mails attempt to lure victims to dummy e-commerce sites in hopes of gleaning credit card numbers and passwords, the FBI says. By mimicking legitimate sites, they lull unsuspecting shoppers into giving up the information as they make what they think are legitimate purchases.

The e-mails look real, often containing legitimate company logos and live links.

In some cases criminals direct users to genuine Web sites, but trigger popups over them to capture personal information that they use to run up credit-card bills and drain bank accounts, according to the FBI.

The information entered will most likely be sold to other criminals who will exploit them for cash and merchandise, the bureau says.

Greeting card scams come in the form of e-mails urging recipients to click on a link to read a greeting card that has been sent to them. When they do, they are directed to a site where malicious software is automatically downloaded to their machines, the FBI says.
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