Phishing Attacks on MSN Messenger Users

Merianne Polintan, anti-spam Research Engineer at security firm Trend Micro, wrote in a blog posted on the firm's website on September 14, 2009 that a latest phishing mail attacking MSN Messenger's users is presently circulating on the Internet.

Details of the new phishing mail disclose that users getting this mail are urged to check who erased or blocked them from their contact list. Attackers are plundering on the eccentricity created among users who would be inquisitive to know who have removed them from their lists.

Clicking on the link provided in the scam e-mail takes the user on the bogus login page wherein he is asked to reveal his username and password. Polintan has also noted in his blog post that the obvious intention of the cybercriminals in this scam is to reap login credentials of the MSN Messenger users.

Once the user reveals his login details the attackers can use these accounts incessantly to distribute spam messages or for other spiteful purposes. malware can also be transmitted by abusing such accounts whose credentials have been gained by hackers.

Although staying in contact with friends has become much simpler through social networking websites viz. Orkut, MSN, Facebook, etc., users should be vigilant enough while using these online social networking platforms. They should understand that attackers regularly update their methods for attacking gullible users, especially the ones using these social networking sites.

Therefore, taking lesson from this particular case, users should be cautious in accepting "invitations", particularly when it is about their private details. It is this private information that is being exploited by cybercriminals including phishers, spammers and malware distributors to achieve their malicious goals.

Users should secure their PCs by installing anti-phishing filters and anti-spam e-mail filters that block phishing e-mails like this one (MSN messenger e-mail) from reaching their inboxes. Further, users should also install the new and latest versions of other security software so that they can effectively block the malware-laden phishing e-mails.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 10/3/2009