MySpace Invaded by Phishing Virus Promising Free Gift Card

The social networking site MySpace has been invaded by sophisticated hackers who leak out their private details through an Internet 'superbug'. This phishing scam comprises of a mail which attacks the famous young users of the Website and promises an attractive free $500 gift card for the US department store Macy's.

Lured by the promise of the free gift, the users tend to click the link, after which a scantily dressed woman appears. Immediately after clicking the link, the user is taken to an illegal MySpace page where they are directed to divulge their private information in order to claim the gift. But this information is transferred to the phisher which is a third party illegally acquiring user's personal data.

The aftermath of divulging the information becomes unbearable until the member changes his or her password or the phisher is caught because victims do not have any knowledge that they are sending mails until someone informs them.

As per the news of wcbstv.com on November 9, 2007, PC Magazine's Executive Editor, Jeremy Kaplan, said that the members transfers the spam without knowing and once the information is gathered through the use of robotic program, the phisher access the account of the victim and distribute the ad to every single person on his/her friends list.

According to Kaplan, this problem has become so intense and has spread so fast that it has become a horrify thing to be a member of it. It has emerged as a huge problem primarily because of the pervasiveness of MySpace. He also explains that MySpace is immensely popular with the youth and with the students of junior high, high and college. So the younger a user is, the more he will be attracted towards MySpace and the more likely is he to face this thing.

There is not a clear cut account as to how many users had been traumatized with these kinds of mails. But by now, the number must have reached in thousands. Just by analyzing the profiles of the members, there will be surely some users advertising the gift card scam.

Also, the departmental store Macy has posted a warning on its site asking the users to be cautious against such kind of links and also declare that they will never ask their customers to reveal their private data after a number of young users of MySpace has been attacked by this kind of scam.

Related article: MySpace Wants Apple To Update QuickTime

» SPAMfighter News - 11/17/2007