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Watch out for swine flu scams

Posted Apr 29 2009, 10:52 AM by Karen Datko
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This post comes from partner site ConsumerAffairs.com.

It didn't take scammers long to latch on to the latest hot-button topic to try to make a quick buck. Scams built on fears of swine flu are proliferating quickly across the Internet.

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an alert this week warning of a number of e-mail scams related to the swine flu. The attacks arrive via an unsolicited e-mail message typically containing a subject line related to the swine flu.

"These e-mail messages may contain a link or an attachment. If users click on this link or open the attachment, they may be directed to a phishing Web site or exposed to malicious code," the alert said.

US-CERT encourages users to take the following measures to protect themselves:

  • Filter spam.
  • Don't trust unsolicited e-mail.
  • Treat e-mail attachments with caution.
  • Don't click links in e-mail messages.
  • Install antivirus software and keep it up-to-date.
  • Install a personal firewall and keep it up-to-date.
  • Configure your e-mail client for security.

To stay informed about swine flu, US-CERT says you should rely on trusted sources of information, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Also, be highly skeptical of unknown Web sites with the words "swine flu" in the domain name. Online security firm F-Secure reports that dozens of new swine flu domain names were registered in the last few days. F-Secure said some of these sites are already offering ways to "protect your family from this crazy flu."

Related reading at ConsumerAffairs.com:

Swine flu: What you need to know

No reason to panic over swine flu

Feds deny Nutro investigation; witnesses say otherwise

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Comments

 

Humans will stoop to anything to make a buck, it doesn't matter if it is good or bad.

lvmustangs (Posted 04.29.09 2:13 PM ) Report Abuse

Spanish flu did not start in Spain. DUH!!!

Nicole (Posted 04.29.09 2:38 PM ) Report Abuse

Historian Alfred Crosby observed that the spanish flu seemed to have originated in Kansas.Other scholars have theorized that the flu probably originated in the Far East.

The Allies of World War I came to call it the Spanish flu, primarily because the pandemic received greater press attention after it moved from France to Spain in November 1918. Spain was not involved in the war and had not imposed wartime censorship.

Hewholooksupstuffbeforeopeningmouth (Posted 04.29.09 3:24 PM ) Report Abuse

THIS IS WHAT THE TAKE OVER LOOKS LIKE  PETTY PEOPLE BITCHING ABOUT "PETTY" THINGS... WE ARE AT LEVEL 5.. 6   " IS MARTIAL LAW "  BUT YOU FOOLS, YOU STUPID  DUMBED DOWN  FOOLS!

JO-JO NBINKS (Posted 04.29.09 3:26 PM ) Report Abuse

The media needs to stop frightening people and needs to stop calling it the Swine Flu as you cannot get it from eating pork.  The fact that drug stores have been running out of masks which aren't needed and people have been going to pharmacies to get Tamiflu and Relenza is a sign of the media's irresponsilbility in this

Patrick (Posted 04.29.09 3:35 PM ) Report Abuse

It should be call the H1 N1 Virus and the CDC has asked the media to call it that

Patrick (Posted 04.29.09 3:36 PM ) Report Abuse

Woohoo!!  I won  British lottery for 500,000 (GBP).  All I have to do is give my email address, my full name, my mother's maiden name, Social Security Number, Copy of Birth Certificate, Copy of Passport, blood test, pap smear, medical history and insurance information, 8th grade English report, first born child, rights to my remains after death, and a partridge in a pear tree.  Send it to some strange email address Prince.That.Nobody.knows@alcj3ia6osxxcgh155.lv that has an IP address based in Nigeria, while they claim to be administering this sweepstakes from Mexico.  

Gosh, I hope they quarantine those types of people and give them the swine flu to test cures on them.  Heck, herbal viagara or cialis might do the trick.

Doramius (Posted 04.29.09 3:44 PM ) Report Abuse

badbob thats too good...... touche'

crazie (Posted 04.29.09 5:28 PM ) Report Abuse

SO WHAT: Your comment CRACKED me up. Hahahahaha....

Clurr (Posted 04.29.09 5:42 PM ) Report Abuse

OMG the (put version here) FLU is coming.   In Mexico City there are less then 100 cases....in a CITY of over 8 MILLION.    yawn    Wake me when there is a real problem

rick (Posted 04.29.09 6:20 PM ) Report Abuse

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