US Army invades Iran – according to hackers at least

As I’ve mentioned previously here, hackers will use any method possible to get you to open an email or file that contains a virus, from sending spam emails purporting to be from charities, to emails about recent news stories.
 
This time they’ve gone one further, with a recent email being sent out with a completely false news story – that the USA has invaded Iran. This attempt to infect computers plays on people’s genuine anxiety over problems in the Middle East, and the tensions between the USA and Iran over Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. Emails have been sent out with subject lines of ‘20,000 US Soldiers in Iran’, ‘US Army crossed Iran's borders’ and most terrifyingly of all ‘Third World War has begun’. Anyone who is anxious to read the rest of the news story is instructed to click on a link that takes them to a web page which has a virus embedded within it. There is a ‘video’ on the web page showing a nuclear explosion and anyone who clicks the video is at risk of being infected with the Troj/Tibs-UO Trojan horse.
 
With the internet becoming an increasingly popular source for breaking news, the hackers are obviously hoping that some people will follow the link without thinking. The email itself does not contain any malicious code; rather this is contained within the linked web page. Being infected with a Trojan horse can allow hackers to take control of your computer and gain access to important personal information.
 
You should never follow a link in an unsolicited email – if you are not sure of the sender then delete it. If you receive an email you were not expecting about a breaking news story, go to a trusted news source, such as www.bbc.co.uk, to find out more accurate information.