Cyber Attackers Return to Target German Police

Criminal forces on the Internet have once again targeted the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany to send spam mails. The spam mails, which pose to be from the police office is circulating in German-speaking regions of Europe. It has an attachment carrying malware that is evading the anti-virus programs, said BKA (Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office) Web site. The malware is yet to be categorized and given a name.

The e-mail's subject head reads "Ermittlungsverfahren Nr. X" or "preliminary investigation No. X" where X stands for a variable relating to a six-digit number.

The e-mail's body message informs the recipient that he is under charges of criminal offense. It then asks the recipient to print out a copy of the document given in the attachment, fill it and fax it to the police office.

If and when the recipient opens the attachment the malicious code impacts on some functions of the PC and perhaps also sends itself further via e-mails to addresses listed in the victim's computer.

The e-mail has the police's press office telephone number, which was blocked on February 1, 2007. Therefore numerous recipients of the spam mail could not reach the BKA to complain over the phone.

In November 2005, the BKA had faced a similar instance of malicious spam attack. This too involved an attachment with a W32.SoberX variant of a worm. On opening the attachment the worm e-mailed in masses by sending itself automatically to the addresses stored in the user's address book within the PC.

W32.Sober.X also disables various anti-virus and security programs. In this case the hoax e-mail tells the recipient that the data stored in his or her computer has been captured as 'evidence' and that an investigation is allegedly started.

The Federal Criminal Police Office requests users to remove such e-mails and advises to update their anti-virus software. Security experts recommend users not to forward such e-mails to anybody else. The Federal Office is ready with additional information to help answer people's queries. It also offers a free virus scanner to use as security measure for its Federal Office for Information Security.

Related article: Cyber Child abuser Sentenced To Imprisonment

» SPAMfighter News - 06-02-2007

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