Criminals hijack Stephen Gately death news

Surfers have been warned to take care when looking for news about the death of former Boyzone star Stephen Gately.

Graham Cluley of Sophos said on his Twitter feed that he had seen evidence of hackers exploiting surfers' interest in news about Gately to spread 'rogueware'.

"It's a sad truth that there are people out there who have no qualms about exploiting the death of a young man to make themselves a quick buck," said Cluley.

Rogueware, sometimes called scareware or Fake AV, involves directing surfers to a website that prompts warning messages to pop up on your screen.

The messages inform you that you have a virus and that you should install a product to remove the infection. It then asks you to pay for the removal software, even though there was no infection in the first place.

This isn't the first time cybercriminals have exploited major news stories to spread rogueware. In the recent past, the Pacific Ocean tsunami and the death of Patrick Swayze were used in similar scams.

Gately died at his home on the Spanish island of Majorca at the age of 33. Tributes have been pouring in from celebrities on micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Just heard the very sad news about dear Stephen Gately. What a dreadful shock. He was loveable and sweet natured and will be hugely missed," wrote Stephen Fry on his Twitter feed.

Fans of Gately also expressed their grief on the site.

"It is hard to believe that Stephen Gately already passed away. Unbelivable. RIP Steve. We're gonna miss you," one Twitter member wrote.