The FBI on Thursday issued a statement warning people to be wary of internet fraud linked to the Boston Marathon bombing.
“The FBI is aware of a spam e-mail with the subject line ‘Boston Marathon Explosion’ and similarly themed messages being circulated to lure potential victims to malicious software and exploits,” said a statement issued by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. “Spam e-mails and Web sites to which they are linked use a wide variety of deceptions to trick a user into taking actions that put the user’s computer at risk for infection. Common techniques include links to compromised Web sites and pop-up messages prompting users to download software to view pictures, videos or other files.”
Social media has been hit with this kind of thing, too. According to the FBI, an account created on a “popular social media service” shortly after the bombs went off last Monday, using the Boston Marathon’s name and logo, falsely indicated that $1 would be donated to the victims “for every communication other users sent to the account.”
The FBI urged people to be careful about what they download and click on online, and to independently research the legitimacy of charities.
