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Scammers Dispatch Rogue Twitter-based Spam Regarding WikiLeaks; Avira

Security researchers from Avira the security company caution Web-surfers that a spam run is exploiting the WikiLeaks disgrace in attacks that are targeting people on Twitter, the micro-blogging website.

It may be noted that commonly called the Whistleblower site; WikiLeaks began producing exposed cables of U.S. Department of State during the end-week of November 2010 that provided a lucid picture of the foreign affairs of the country.

In the meantime, remarking about the scam e-mails, Data Security Expert Sorin Mustaca at Avira the German anti-virus provider stated that the messages were extremely well crafted as they carried rogue editions of Twitter's current headers. Techbuzzblog.com published this on December 12, 2010.

Furthermore, there's also the original e-mail template of Twitter which spammers have used in their messages. Thus say the researchers that the e-mails include Twitter's color scheme, logo and disclaimer so that the rogue editions appear genuine.

Also, the subject line used is "WikiLeaks on Twitter!" while the shortened message reads, "Hello, Twitter-er! [date] @WIKILEAKS on Twitter! http://twitter.com/WIKILEAKS/[CENSORED]," that's signed off from "The Twitter Team."

Additionally, the e-mails have web-links that rather than take onto WikiLeaks' Twitter account, redirect recipients to software that downloads Java-based malicious programs, which specifically load a backdoor onto their PCs, the security researchers outline.

And because of these fake, spam mails, Avira's experts suggest that netizens should watch out for such messages and delete them instantly if they land into their mailboxes.

The experts, meanwhile, further remark that the WikiLeaks-related topics are currently most hot news globally therefore attacks of this type are occurring. Cyber-criminals, according to them, little overlook an opportunity to exploit anything that draws significant public enthusiasm be it an important holiday, a natural disaster or the passing away of any famous personality.

Besides, it's because of spam outbreaks similar to the above that junk e-mails have grown during 2010 as well and continues to grow, just what Symantec another security company highlights within its yearly report that was announced recently. In that report, it's stated that at 2010-end, the total volume of spam mails to have been dispatched by then will be 95.1bn globally.

Related article: Scammers Exploit Tax System Resulting in ID Theft

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