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Flu Email Scams

 

 

# 4108

 

 

Although disasters and crises often bring out the best in people, they sometimes bring out the worst in a few.   

 

We’ve already seen how quickly entrepreneurs (I’d call them `vultures’, but it unfairly maligns the bird) have jumped in to sell bogus cures and over-priced protective gear via the internet. 

 

The FDA maintains a listing of many of these products (see The FDA’s H1N1 Fraudulent Products List).

 

Now we are hearing about a new `phishing’ scam, one designed to steal personal information  has been reported to the CDC.  

 

An email has been circulating telling people they must create a vaccination profile with the CDC, and directing them to a phony website.  Once there, they are asked to fill out a form with their private information.  

 

The sort of information that can be used to steal their identity. Additionally, your computer may have malware installed when you visit this site. 

 

If you receive an email asking you to go to a CDC site to register, it is a scam.  The CDC does not collect personal information this way.

 

Here is the CDC’ announcement.

 

Fraudulent emails referencing CDC-sponsored State Vaccination Program

(December 1, 2009)

CDC has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program.

 

The messages request that users must create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov website. The message then states that anyone that has reached the age of 18 has to have his/her personal Vaccination Profile on the cdc.gov site.

 

The CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on www.cdc.gov. Users that click on the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

  • Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited email messages.
  • Use caution when visiting un-trusted websites.
  • Use caution when entering personal information online.

An example of the Phishing email follows:

Sample H1N1 phishing e-mail

 

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Personal Note: 

 

My blogging will be a bit light for the next few days, as my 85-year-old father, and my sister were in a car wreck yesterday.

Both are hospitalized, but neither are in serious condition.

Related Post:

CDC
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