Fraudsters Target Users With Michael Jackson Spam

By now, unless you've been living under a rock, you've undoubtedly heard of Michael Jackson's death. Ever since the announcement of his death, the Internet has been filling with spam, viruses, and malware which attempts to spread by providing information about Jackson's death via email.

Antivirus companies are warning users of the spam messages and as always, inform users not to open any email from unknown recipients.

"The untimely death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has sent shockwaves through the entire world - but unfortunately, this type of huge news story is also the perfect vehicle for spammers to snare vulnerable computer users," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "These spammers are relying on curious users to reply to their bogus claims - but if you receive one of these messages you just need to delete it."

"We've also discovered cybcercriminals taking advantage of the sad death of 70s TV icon Farrah Fawcett to spread fake anti-virus software, so users should certainly remain vigilant. The fact is that cybercriminals have no respect for taste and decency. The only thing they are interested in is making some money for themselves, and turning other computer users' lives into a misery."

Users will continue to be targeted by these type of attacks long as Michael Jackson is in the news. Once he is no longer in the news, they will move on to the next person or interesting story in the news that will grab your attention.

In the meantime, you may want to grab a copy of Microsoft Security Essentials and definitely read up on our antispyware/antivirus toolkit article.