In reality, opening the attached file on a Windows computer puts PCs at risk of malware infection, Sophos Senior Technology Consultant warns.
A typical message is:
Subject: “Fw: AFP Photo News: Bloody Photos: Libya dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s Death”
Message body:
“Libya dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s Death
Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed, the country’s rebel government claimed Oct. 20. The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and a stronghold of his supporters.
“The death of Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi has almost inevitably resulted in cybercriminals taking advantage of the news story, and the general public’s seeming interest in viewing ghoulish photos and videos of his last moments,” Graham Cluley, Sophos Senior Technology Consultant told the news agencies.
“As unlikely as the legitimacy of these emails may seem, in this case, the latest photos being forwarded to you in an email attachment – the news is often just too interesting for people to ignore. Internet users need to be sensible when it comes to a top news story, and not throw their security suspicions regarding links and unsolicited attachments out the window, in search of the latest revelations or shocking images.” Fore warned is fore armed, so keep away from any suspicious Gadhafi photos and videos that might cost you your important files.
