Heads Up: CNN and MSNBC Alert SPAM
 

A new phishing and bot email is going around disguised as BBC, CNN and MSNBC Alerts. If you get emails from them, delete them. Do not install any ActiveX or other prompts (this generally goes without saying).

These emails look legit.

Slashdot


(Can ya tell I'm in IT?)

I just checked my email to see if I got this one. I did have 2 but Gmail tagged it as spam and dumped it into the spam folder. Although I never even open those emails, these ones are faked very well. Not your typical looking spam. Very sneaky.

Got the MSNBC one, thought it was from a friend that works at NBC, but the one link I clicked on did not work....thank god!

I have a Mac. Still no known viruses.

Clicking the link may trigger the offending address that yours is a valid address and you may see an increase of spam.

The virus potential comes from a "missing plug in" (usually active X or media player) that it wants you to install. It's similar to the facebook porn link that is going around.

I get the MSN one twice daily on my work account. It goes intothe delete pile along with ones titles "They will call you LARGESIMO".

I got the CNN one but I deleted it because I don't care about them. I guess I got lucky on that one.

Or worthwhile games. ;)

I recieved all of them, but most of them went into my Spam folder and had no chance.:D

Could be true, but I don't really care as I am not a gamer.

Not really.

It's true that, as a Mac owner, you're much less likely to get infected than the average (or below-average) Windows user. It's not because Macs are invulnerable. It's because malware is written to target the most popular platform in an effort to infect as many computers as possible. I'd say that the steadily growing user base of Macs and the mistaken idea that Macs are bullet proof is a sign of a great weakness that is sure to be exploited very soon.

Pride goes before the fall. ;)

Did anyone ever think that all these viruses may have been started by Mac users to bring down PC? Ho ho. Aren't you glad you read this post? I bet you are. Crime solved.

You are correct: I should have not said "no known," rather, "extremely rare."

I was amused that at that link that one of the references was to Hypercard Stacks viruses. Though Hypercard was available for purchase through a few years ago, it hadn't been updated for many years (and only a few hard-core users even used it).

One of these spam emails I just got had the following subject: msnbc.com: BREAKING NEWS: Police Raid Donut City

And another: msnbc.com: BREAKING NEWS: New Economic Stimulus Package Inlcudes Goat

:D

I received one that said msnbc.com: BREAKING NEWS: Elizabeth Taylor found gruesomely murdered.

How about: McCain takes Gold in Olympic Gymnastics

Yes. I laughed too.

I'm getting them all. My work inbox, for whatever reason, is spam riddled.

You guys need a spam filter.

msnbc.com: BREAKING NEWS: Report: Fate of "Ross and Rachel" Used to Torture Iraqi Prisoners

How awful! Waterboarding is nothing compared to that.

Jesus Christ to star in next series of Batman

And some look real.

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