Latest e-mail hoaxes target personal data, pack virus

A pair of e-mail hoaxes now making the rounds aim to steal personal and financial information or infect a user’s computer with a virus, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

One of the e-mail messages tries to bait recipients by claiming they purchased a computer from an online service provider. The e-mail includes a link if the user wants to dispute the charges, according to the IC3, which is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.

When the link is followed, the user is asked to provide account information, which is then collected by the attacker.

The other e-mail hoax arrives with a PDF attachment claiming to be the order summary for the computer purchase. The attachment contains a virus when opened. The IC3 did not provide details of the virus or its impact on a user’s machine.

According to data collected by Sophos, e-mail hoaxes that use Hotmail accounts and virtual greeting cards as their hooks are the most prevalent, accounting for nearly 29% of all e-mail hoaxes.

The IC3 says users always should be wary of providing financial information in response to an unsolicited e-mail message and they should never click on attachments from senders they do not know.