“Express Shipment Notification” Junk Messages Circulating Online, Cautions Sophos

Sophos the security company cautions that spam mails bearing an all-time familiar title "Express Shipment Notification" have been spotted on the Internet.

Graham Cluley, senior security technology consultant at Sophos explains that cyber-criminals have dispatched bulk e-mails asserting their sender is DHL Express International as these plant malware onto PCs belonging to gullible computer-operators, thus published Naked Security blog dated March 18, 2013.

It's said that the fraudulent electronic mails contain everything about the shipment like the custom reference, tracking notification, pickup date, tracking number and more associated with it.

These also try to sound authentic so they tell recipients that each and every required process is done whose details can be seen from a report attached.

But the attachment containing one zipped file actually carries malware. The name given to this zipped archive appears differently, however, commonly have the characters "DHL reportXXXXXX.zip," the Xs being an arbitrary code, Cluley further explains.

The malicious software called Troj/BredoZp-S represents one notorious Trojan which's capable of corrupting any computer running Windows OS, while seizes personal info for instance account details, username and password along with additional confidential information. Besides, it alters the infected computer's screensaver as also enables attackers to control it remotely.

Notably according to Sophos, spammers employ different methods for suggesting their e-mails as urgent while dupe gullible recipients into quickly taking down harmful files. Bulk e-mails having 'express shipping notification' typically bypass conventional IT security solutions while comprise nearly a quarter of e-mail-based assaults. The messages have words such as "UPS," "DHL," or "delivery."

The kind of e-mail attack also covers a wide network wherein based on the fact that innumerable people send parcels daily through UPS, DHL or FedEx, the possibilities are at least some spammed mails will end up inside caring inboxes.

More often than not, cyber-criminals have been observed camouflaging their e-mails with shipping firms such as FedEx or DHL for distributing their malicious wares while compromising unwary Internauts' PCs, says Cluley. Therefore, he concludes that for remaining optimally protected users, in addition to deploying updated AV software, should imbibe the habit of never clicking on unsolicited attachments, even if tempting enough.

Related article: “Loopholes did not cause online banking thefts”: ICBC

» SPAMfighter News - 3/22/2013