Watch For Emails With The Subject “Photo”; – Attachments Contain Malware
The original site is no longer online; links go to the Internet Archive copy.
The claim
Emails with just the subject line “photo” and just a name in the message body include a.zip file that supposedly contains an image.
What the fact-checkers found
The attached.zip file contains a dangerous.exe file that, if opened, can install malware on your computer.
Cybercriminals are well aware that, sometimes, the simplest of ruses can be very effective.
In this case, they have distributed malicious emails with just the subject line “photo”. The body of the emails are blank other than for a first name and first initial of a surname. The emails include an attached file called “IMG WA4486103765~JPG.zip”.
The crooks know that at least a few recipients will open the attachment out of simple curiosity. Although the attachment is actually a.zip, its name contains the letters “IMG” and “JPG” to give the impression that it does indeed contain a photo.
If you open the.zip file, you will find that it contains a file called “IMG WA4486103765~JPG.exe”. If you then click this.exe file, malware may be installed on your Windows computer.
More experienced computer users are unlikely to be caught out by such simple tricks. But, alas, there are many users who tend to be naive about the nefarious ways of the Internet and may thus go ahead and open the attachment and infect their computers.
This campaign is similar to an earlier, and quite widespread, malware attack that consisted of emails with the subject line “My new photo”.
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