Hackers Exploiting Rising Unemployment Globally to Make Financial Gains

Security firm Proofpoint states that as the unemployment rises, job and business opportunity scams are expanding globally. The firm has reported that in the last few weeks, the number of spam containing job scams surged by 500%.

These e-mails job offers appear like normal business messages. They offer business opportunities to make several thousands of dollars. Some of them even have company's logo and ask for private information verification.

Security experts comment that these mails can also contain attachments that might lead to bad programs and viruses. They are nonsensical and made to hack the user's system. In addition, these system viruses search for things like account numbers, passwords and login details of social networking sites. Sometime they acquire large chunk of private details to steal user's ID.

Keith Crosley, Director of Market Development, Proofpoint, analyzes these mails and informs that the users can end up in trouble by replying to these kinds of mails, as reported by cbs.13 on February 21, 2009.

Further, there are presently several attempted frauds usually through mail disguising a UK connection. Some of the so-called UK-based scams are run from oversea, but makes use of forwarding addresses in the UK. Therefore, the scams may seem to have come from the UK, but the creators are based in Nigeria or elsewhere.

On the other hand, some of the job scams are sophistically developed. Legitimate UK firms' sites are given within the scam, but the details of contact mail are fake.

The company said that in these hard times, the unemployed are taking impulsive decisions without any prior thinking that is the reason for increase in these scams. Thus, the firm advises the user to think twice before clicking on any of those offers.

Lastly, security experts suggested that the job seekers could safeguard themselves from these scams by not divulging their private and banking information in any case. They should also consider the validity of any prospective employer and should not make any advance payments to job placement companies.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 3/7/2009