Fake Gift Certificate from iTunes has Malware

A research team of 11 specialists has cautioned of e-mails that offer one gift certificate related to iTunes the well-known Internet music service from Apple; reports Dark Reading dated November 22, 2011.

With a caption titled "iTunes Gift Certificate," the e-mails according to the researchers, entice readers with the gift as well as offer a 50% concession to anyone buying from the iTunes Internet store by utilizing a particular code that's apparently within a given file attachment.

Specifically, the scam electronic mail tells the recipient that he has got an iTunes Gift Certificate of price $50. There's also a certificate code within a given attachment. Following this, the message tells the recipient that he requires opening iTunes and upon validating his account, the $50 will be charged on him through the account. Thus he'll be able to begin purchasing games, music and video immediately.

But, though the scam message has been crafted as seeming to arrive from support-no6188@itunes.apple.com of the iTunes Store, since it has been dispatched to many people it should clearly suggest that it's fraudulent, and expectedly not let some people get duped.

Meanwhile, the e-mail's file-attachment, which is called "Gift_Certificate_iT2718.zip," quite likely has a PC-Trojan, which creates a 'backdoor' letting more malicious programs to be downloaded onto the user's computer similar to what happened in 2010.

Additionally, the Trojan possibly makes a link with some remote server for taking additional instructions. Subsequently, it can take down any malware from that server onto the contaminated PC.

The research team states that the above kind of ruse i.e. presenting discounted gift certificates along with an attachment having harmful virus or other malicious programs is being increasingly applied everyday. During November 2011, this trick appears as being used within other scam e-mails, which utilize "Starbucks Gift Card" as bait. In such e-mails, Internauts are assured about gift cards free-of-charge from Starbucks while they require sending certain personal information as well as carry out some clicks.

Thus, the researchers recommend users that incase they get one of the iTunes gift certificate messages then they must delete it while not viewing its attachment.

Related article: Fake Spam Mail Announces Australian PM’s Heart Attack

» SPAMfighter News - 11/29/2011