Author Archives: Hacker Medic

Much More Than a Free 50 Pound Bet

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Contributor: Vivek Krishnamurthi

The Cheltenham Festival, also known as the National Hunt Meeting, is a popular horse racing event that occurs every year in March in the United Kingdom. The festival usually coincides with Saint Patrick’s Day. This year, the festival is currently in progress and will end on March 15. A large amount of gambling takes place during the Cheltenham Festival, a fact that spammers seem to be well aware of as we are presently observing an increase in online gambling spam.

One particular sample of spam included instructions on how to register a free bet. The link provided in the message directs the user to a form where they can sign up and get a free bet worth up to £50.

Some of the email header information found in this spam campaign includes the following:

  • Subject: Bet on Cheltenham with the Best Odds!
  • From: Cheltenham Festival Bets <xxx@BestWorldOnlinexxx.com>
  • From: xxxCheltenham Festival Betsxxx“ <xxx.@x.greatnewoffersxxx.com>
  • From: xxxCheltenham Festival Betsxxx“ <xxx.@x.ExcellentDealsOnlinexxx.com>

Figure. Cheltenham Festival gambling spam
 

Once the user registers, their personal details are in the hands of the spammers. This situation can be even more alarming if the user shares their banking details. Beware of any fake betting offers from such sites; the reality is you are partaking in much more than a free bet of £50.

Symantec also advises our readers to be cautious when handling any unsolicited or unexpected emails. We are keeping a close eye on spam related to the Cheltenham Festival event, and another upcoming festival—Saint Patrick’s Day.

Travnet Trojan Could Be Part of APT Campaign

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Attackers use all kinds of attack vectors to steal sensitive information from their targets. Their efforts are not limited to only zero-day vulnerabilities. Malware authors often exploit old vulnerabilities because a large number of organizations still use old vulnerable software. The Trojan Travnet, which steals information, is a classic example of malware that takes advantage Read more…

Spammers Special Feast for St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture and a religious holiday on March 17, and it is very special to Irish communities and organizations. Recently, we have observed numerous St. Patrick’s Day related spam messages flowing into the Symantec Probe Network. Many of the spam samples observed are encouraging users to take advantage of clearance sales of cars as well as other product offers.

Interestingly, in one spam campaign, we observed a malicious spam email that tries to trick users by using the name of the event in conjunction with a popular site that allows users to send and receive large files. By clicking on the link, the user is redirected to a Web page that downloads some malicious code, which exploits several common vulnerabilities. The main motive of these spam campaigns is to lure recipients by taking advantage of the St. Patrick’s day holiday in the subject line and body of the email, such as: “Patrick[RANDOM NUMBERS]”. In such cases, users should be careful and avoid clicking on the links.

Figure1. Malicious spam email taking advantage of St. Patrick’s Day

The spam may lead to a website declaring a clearance sale on St. Patrick’s day.

Figure2. Financial spam targeting St. Patrick’s Day

When the user clicks on the “Get Prices Button” for the clearance prices of cars, they get redirected to another Web page that asks them to select the type of car model for a price comparison.

Figure3. Clearance website to compare the prices of car models

After entering the make and model of the car, the user gets redirected to another Web page asking for their personal details, including their address, email address, and payment details. Users should be wary of such information-stealing attempts by spammers.

Figure4. Asking the user for their personal information

Below are some of the subject lines that we have observed regarding the clearance sale spam attacks for St. Patrick’s Day:

  • /*St. Patrick’s Day clearance, test drive your new car… .* */
  • See Clearance Prices on all XXX Vehicles on St Patrick
  • St Patrick’ XXX Clearance
  • See Clearance Prices on all XXX Vehicles on St Patrick’s
  • 2013 St Patrick XXX Huge Discount – Slashing prices to meet Quotas

The following example is from a spam email that encourages users to take advantage of bogus offers and purchase products. By clicking the URL, the user is re-directed to a fake pharmaceuticals website.

Figure5. Spam website selling fake pharmaceutical products

Symantec advises our readers to be cautious when handling unsolicited or unexpected emails. We at Symantec are monitoring spam attacks 24×7 to ensure that readers are kept up-to-date with information on the latest threats.

Have a great St. Patrick’s Day!

Fake Friends Fool Facebook Users

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The word friend is defined as “one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect and affection; an intimate associate.” But that definition seems to have gone out the window with the advent of social networks. Studies show 50% of people will accept a Facebook “friend” or LinkedIn invitation from a total stranger. So Read more…

Fake Friends Fool Facebook Users

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The word friend is defined as “one who entertains for another such sentiments of esteem, respect and affection; an intimate associate.” But that definition seems to have gone out the window with the advent of social networks. Studies show 50% of people will accept a Facebook “friend” or LinkedIn invitation from a total stranger. So Read more…

Internet Fraud

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Listed below are tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of Internet fraud. For information on the most common complaints and scams, see the annual reports of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, a partnership of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Also see its… Read more »

New Variation on Telephone Collection Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

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  The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) continues to receive complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. As previously reported in December 2010, the typical payday loan scam involves a caller who claims the victim is delinquent on a payday loan and must make payment to avoid legal… Read more »