"Naked pic" scam

[stephie]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42576608/ns/technology_and_science-security/?gt1=43001


'Naked pic' scam spreads across Internet

Rigged file tries to lures victims into purchasing fake antivirus software

By Matt Liebowitz
SecurityNewsDaily

updated 4/13/2011 4:28:29 PM ET 2011-04-13T20:28:29

A new email scam is hoping to catch eager Web surfers with their pants down.
The bait for this malicious online campaign is an email with the subject line "My naked pic is attached," which includes a downright salacious message, the security firm Sophos reports.

The body of the email reads: "I love wild sex and looking for a discreet partner. I have my picture attached to this email. Take a look at it and get back if you like what you see."

Recipients who simply can’t resist the temptation and open the attached .zip file aren’t greeted with the promised nude picture. Instead, the attachment contains a rigged file that tricks users into believing their system has a host of security problems, and then attempts to lure the victim into purchasing fake antivirus software.

"Hopefully most people will think with their brains and not with their trousers, and not be tempted into opening the attachment," Graham Cluley, Sophos’ senior technology consultant wrote.

As the saying goes, sex sells, and online criminals know this as well as anyone. Every week there is a new batch of scams offering " sexy videos " or supposed celebrity sex tapes making the Internet rounds. To stay out of trouble, security experts warn users to be extremely wary about opening attached links, especially ones that come from unknown senders.

 

[Kat* to the Extreme]

"Naked pic" scam

I crashed my computer once for being stupid. Wish I would have read your link before.

 

[Erik L]

"Naked pic" scam

Yeah, people are stupid.....the only real reason for zipping a photo is if you're grouping a LOT of them together, jpg is the compression format to use so if you see ANY file come in that you don't know the sender and trust, don't open it.

Another good one going around is from UPS or "freight carrier" or DHL....it is about an attempted delivery.....a delivery notification would have been on your door, and if they were sending you a notification, it would have been in the BODY of the email, not as an attachement. There would be a link with the tracking number.

Rule of thumb? Don't open any file that uses an executable file in order for you to see it's contents. For example: you open a word document IN microsoft word, the file doesn't perform an operation itself. A PDF file uses Adobe reader, the PDF can't do anything by itself. A zip file is a self extracting file so it has a small program built in which, in this case, causes an application contained in the zip file to automatically run when extracted.

Now there ARE virus' that reside in doc files etc, but if you've kept up to date with your microsoft security updates, you should be fine......

 

[ange]

"Naked pic" scam

Best way to catch me with my pants down, SillyGirl, is walk in the room when I'm looking at your signature gif ... or at the Perfect Ass thread, come to think of it ... or Wet and Wonderful ... or ...

But the email scams? My pants are always up around my waist and fully zipped.

I do sometimes get a chuckle from unsolicited emails that arrive looking so serious. That DHL "delivery notification" seems to be popular recently.

And I loved the email I got this morning from a friend I was chatting with at the coffee shop yesterday:



Apart from being a cynic about junk mail, I don't worry much about viruses, because I am on an Apple computer and exec files don't work on the Mac operating system. Often I can check out those phoney files and alert the sender if they're a friend so they know they've been hijacked.

 

[Xamarth]

"Naked pic" scam

There is also a dangerous one where sometimes you click a picture and directs you to the Internet explorer (fake). Flashing in red that there are Trojans and viruses that need to be cleaned and to follow that link. It looks very real but avoid it.

 

[FrenchPea]

"Naked pic" scam

and they actually add trojans and virus' to your computer...I had just loaded a clean copy of windows XP and fired up the puter and logged onto the net to get the most recent updates and got hit with a site that offerred a free virus scan. Needless to say I had to reformat my hard drive and re-reinstall windows.

This was years ago but I think there are sites that "poll" new computers signing on to see if they have a firewall or virus protection and if not, they flash to that site.....

I don't see the point actually. To damage someone's computer who could be a million miles away with absolutely NO gain to yourself. To me, it's like being able to throw nails on a side road in BF iowa. Ok, so I gave a guy a flat tire, do I whack off now or later?

(btw, the guy who wrote the "I love you" virus is serving multiple life sentences in a chinese prison......)

 

[Brianna]

"Naked pic" scam

Did anyone asked the bugger what was his purpose. Why he did it?.

 

[masterj00769]

"Naked pic" scam

I have to assume it's like all the others who write virus' etc: because they can. To say "look what I can do"......

I can sort of understand hackers, they're like safecrackers etc, there's a "goal" at the end. But to simply write a virus to do harm with no gain whatsoever? To me, that's like killing someone for fun, or gay bashing.........