Scam E-mails Supposedly from Sage about Overdue Payment Deliver Malware

Online scammers are utilizing bogus reports about payroll payments seemingly arriving from Sage through the id payroll@sage.co.uk towards deceiving Internauts into downloading malicious software onto their PCs, published softpedia.com dated November 5, 2013.

It maybe noted that the Sage Group globally leads in supplying business management services as well as software solutions catering to some 5m customers.

Bearing a caption, "Payment Overdue - Please respond," the scam e-mails state that the payroll reports attached herewith relate to recent months. Consequently, the recipient should send the money for current payroll by October 11, 2013 according to the parties' (Sage and customer) payment agreement.

In signature below the phony notices appear different names like Shelby Lloyd and Bernice Swanson.

It's also written in the message that the e-mail is an auto-generated one so requires no reply.

Mainly the text names the e-mail a 'confidential notice' describing its matter, including all attached files as secret which only the intended recipient may utilize. For anyone who isn't supposed to receive the e-mail he's requested to note that he's squarely prohibited from distributing, disseminating else utilizing the e-mail's material. Incase of an erroneous receipt, the user is requested to inform the sender. Beside, he's requested to delete the e-mails along with all duplicates, including any attachments. Finally, the e-mail ends on a Thank you note.

Security analysts remark that the aforesaid sentences are added for making readers think the e-mail as legitimate and genuine.

Meanwhile, the attachments aren't payroll reports rather they're malicious software. Therefore, anyone finding the kind of e-mails must overlook them since there's no connection whatsoever between them and Sage.

But, incase anybody has already viewed attached files he should run an anti-virus scan on his computer. Sometimes certain updates of database for virus definitions maybe required for the anti-virus software to function and detect the said e-mails' malware.

In the meantime, similar as Sage, another software company Apple as well had become the target of online criminals who ran their malware scams during November-beginning 2013. At that time, e-mails were detected having the subject line "Account Info Change" that circulated targeting Apple users.

» SPAMfighter News - 11/7/2013