Phony Traffic Ticket Notice to Seattle Drivers Opens Malware

The e-mail that poses as sent from the U.S' Seattle DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) as also asserts that one traffic ticket has been provided for the recipient is another fraud. For, a web-link within the e-mail produces an Internet site, which harbors malware, published Hoax Slayer dated January 20, 2012.

Nevertheless, using a caption, "Seattle Traffic Ticket," the message's length appears quite short as it just mentions the speed, which's beyond 50 Zone, and that the recipient can plead by completing a given form via clicking a web-link.

Further, the e-mail has different versions though the basic meaning is the same while there's one common "check sum" tagline. The sole change is a different hyperlink along with a different date as also time of the 'crime' amidst the spam's iterations. Interestingly, this date is given within the European format i.e. DD/MM/YYYY unlike the usual American one -MM/DD/YYYY. Hitherto, the hyperlink has been connecting with many newly-registered domains.

However, cops in Seattle stated that the City didn't posses a DMV of its own, while the Seattle Police Department didn't ever dispatch e-mail notices regarding traffic violations. Seattlepi published this on January 19, 2012.

Meanwhile, clicking on the web-link opens the malware-rigged site and also installs a hostile iFrame from still one more site whose domain registration occurred on January 16, 2012 as well as is hosted within Ukraine.

Typically, the attackers depend upon the assumption that some recipients of the e-mail at least, will become so convinced that they'll follow the web-link leading onto the malware-rigged website. A few may've actually been driving the streets of Seattle during the particular hour leading them to trust the e-mail followed with opening its web-link. Yet a few others, not driving through Seattle during the particular hour may think they require correcting the error by the police and so follow the web-link.

And while investigation into the current case is ongoing, one same kind of "traffic ticket" scam spreading malware was introduced during mid-2011 when a 'Uniform Traffic Ticket' was issued to victims for driving beyond the limited speed in New York as also a given attachment installed malware.

Related article: PM’s Official Web Site Targeted By Hackers

» SPAMfighter News - 1/26/2012