Iran invasion spam circulates

Wed, 9 Jul 2008
Web User
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A new spam campaign brings false news of an American invasion of Iran, security researchers have warned.

If you receive an email telling you that the US has invaded Iran, not only should you disregard the message, but you should delete it as well.

The email, carrying subject lines such as 'Third World War has begun', '20,000 US Soldiers in Iran', and 'US Army crossed Iran's borders' have been spotted by security firm Sophos.

The message reads: "Just now US Army's Delta Force and US Air Force have invaded Iran. Approximately 20,000 soldiers crossed the border into Iran and broke down the Iran's Army resistance. The video made by US soldier was made today morning. Click on the video to see the first minutes of the beginning of World War III. God save us".

There is also what appears to be a video player embedded in the body of the email. However, if you click on it, you run the risk of being infected with a Trojan horse, warned Sophos.

"Hackers are taking advantage of the fact that many people today get their fix for breaking news via the internet. Everyone should ensure they keep their anti-virus protection up to date and never follow links in unsolicited email messages," said Sophos' Graham Cluley.

Have you received one of these emails? Discuss the issue on the Web User forums.

www.sophos.com