Travel Plan E-mails Spoof Expedia, Caution Security Researchers
Security researchers are alerting Internauts about fake itinerary e-mails posing as communication sent from Expedia the travel booking agency, published softpedia.com dated July 9, 2013.
The e-mail, displaying a header "Your Trip Details Lancaster Gate Hotel, London," use 'Hi' to address the reader followed with thanking him because he used Expedia's service. It then suggests the user to keep the electronic mail with him for making sure everything goes on in the smoothest possible way, as he can use the e-mail, carrying every necessary detail that'll be required, during checking in.
Incase the user is traveling internationally, he shouldn't miss confirming the visa particulars related to the last destination as well as any country he may be touring at the time of his trip, the e-mail reminds. It finally asks to view a given attachment for knowing the trip details.
Unsurprisingly, there are both the color scheme and logo of Expedia in the e-mail.
But, it isn't from Expedia while there aren't any trip details in the attachment. Instead, Internet fraudsters have sent it towards duping its receivers into planting malicious software onto their PCs, the researchers observe.
Actually, the crooks strongly expect that a minimum of few recipients, anxious after learning their debit/credit payment card has been charged following fixing a costly tour for them, will, devoid of second thought, view the attachment as well as the executable file contained in it. Individuals who've of late fixed any tour through the agency are as well likely to become convinced with the trick followed with clicking on the attachment, the researchers add.
Meanwhile, the attachment, when clicked, initially looks like a harmless PDF. However, there's really a second file extension to the document thus becoming .pdf.exe. And it is when this second extension opens that the malware gets installed and starts filching sensitive information stored on the infected PC.
During the past time, tour plan messages of similar kind that spread malware have exploited brands such as Jetstar, Virgin Blue, American Airlines and Delta Airlines. Therefore, incase anyone gets such an unsolicited electronic mail he should clearly erase it without even opening it, the researchers recommend.
ยป SPAMfighter News - 7/13/2013
