Tucson, AZ – April 28, 2009 – Security experts across the country are warning that the swine flu scare has already spurred a flurry of activity on the scam front.
According to a McAffee blog post yesterday, spammers are sending emails by the millions to ignite consumer fear about the virus. Many of the email subject lines falsely imply celebrities such as Madonna have contracted the virus.
The emails advertise drugs and online pharmacies, says McAffee, which reports it has also seen an increase in domain names being registered that refer to swine flu. McAffee said that the attacks are believed to be the work of botnet machines and have accounted for roughly three percent of the global spam volume in recent days.
Many of the e-mails direct recipients to websites for fake online pharmacies, according to McAfee. In some cases, the websites simply use the ploy to steal credit card data or to deliver counterfeit drugs, Marcus said.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), while there are medications known to treat influenza, there is no drug on the market specific to the treatment of swine flu in humans. The CDC has posted swine flu information on its site http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm
BBB reminds consumers to be cautious of emails from unknown senders, and to never click on links or open attachments. Also, ask a trusted physician or pharmacist about proven treatments rather than respond to an unsolicited email.
If you’ve responded to one of these emails, please contact your BBB at 520-888-5353 or info@tucson.bbb.org
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