Nuclear Blast Spam Targets Sydney Residents

Security provider Sophos is warning Sydney residents of a massive spam campaign claiming of a powerful nuclear blast in a suburb of Sydney.

Security Specialists at Sophos state that the e-mails having .au in the sender's address, claim to contain pictures of the blast in a .zip file attached with the message, which uses a subject that Australia has been polluted.

Moreover, the spam campaign launched around September 11, 2008 is to dupe the Australian users into opening the included attachment depicting the consequences of the explosion and bodies of victims. But if any user clicks on the attachment, a Trojan virus is installed onto his/her computer.

According to Paul Ducklin, Head of Technology, Sophos, the spam attack should hint users how easily spammers can lure them with information that poses to be relevant and topical, as reported by SCMagazine on September 12, 2008.

Paul Ducklin further stated that with September 11, 2008 being observed as the anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attack, the campaign sounds relevant.

However, Australia's only nuclear reactor in the Lucas Heights suburb of Sydney's South West should give more reasons to warn inhabitants that the news about blasts are false.

Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant, Sophos, says that instead of using a true event, spammers are resorting to fictional blasts and intriguing theories to tempt potential victims into opening the attachment without giving a second thought, as reported by SCMagazine on September 12, 2008.

Moreover, in similar news, an attack targeted London residents with an e-mail that claims the occurrence of a powerful nuclear blast in a plant near London. This fake e-mail arrives from an address designated with the .uk suffix.

Also, as per Symantec, an anti-virus software firm, same malicious e-mail is also making the rounds in Canada's city of Ontario claiming that a powerful and lethal nuclear explosion occurred at 3 PM on September 9, 2008. The message arrives with the subject line "A report on radiation contamination in Canada". Security experts said that the fraudulent e-mail was possibly sent from a Russian hacker's address.

» SPAMfighter News - 9/22/2008