Spammers try to hijack Halloween 
(23/10/2007)
Spammers are trying to hijack Halloween festivities to grab personal information from internet users. A new spam email campaign tries to lure recipients into handing over a wide range of personal information with the promise of a $250 gift card. The email uses a variety of puns associated with the spooky celebrations on 31 October.
Clicking on links contained in the email takes computer users to a website containing Halloween imagery. The website asks for a large amount of personal information including email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers and date of birth, before presenting a stream of questionnaires on subjects as diverse as student loans, gender and cigarette smoking.
"It's not immediately obvious whether this spam is being sent to commit identity theft or whether it's market research gone mad. If you visit the site and give it your personal information the chances are that you will be bombarded with unwanted junk email until hell freezes over," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.
"There's no evidence to reassure people that they will really receive a gift card - and as the people behind this website have already proven themselves prepared to send unsolicited spam, this is probably more of a trick than a treat."
This is not the first time that spammers have used festivities or public holidays to promote their goods. Every year, for instance, spammers leap upon the opportunity of St Valentine's Day, to sell lingerie, chocolate, jewelry and even viagra.
Related topics: Computer and PC Security Internet and Web security
Print version | 
Email to a friend | 
Related articles
Data breaches: Trends, costs and best practices gives you all the latest information on securing personal and corporate data, key recommendations for immediate action to improve data security, and how to respond to data breaches.
Other Security news and resources
Security News
Suppliers Directory
Jobs forum
Classifieds
Knowledge base
White papers
Research library
Security books
Special reports
Security interviews
Security companies
Security events
Security links
Security market
Product channels
Access Control Biometrics CCTV Intruder Alarms IT Security Manned Guarding Perimeter Protection Physical Security Remote Monitoring Security Services Fire, Health & Safety Other Security Products
IT Security white papers and research library
Access Control Authentication Data Management Data Security Digital Signatures Email Security Identity Management Internet Security Intrusion Prevention Network Security Remote access security Security Management Security Policies Security Software Security Threats Virus Detection Software Virus Protection VPN Vulnerability Assessment Wireless Security
Security books, guides, standards and toolkits
RFID and Smart Cards books, guides and reference documents Biometric books, guides and reference documents CCTV books, guides and reference documents Intruder alarms and intrusion detection systems books, guides and reference documents Monitoring and surveillance books, guides and reference documents IT Governance, ISO 27001 ISO 17799 and BS 7799 toolkits Fire, Health & Safety books, guides and reference documents
