Watch Out For “Confirmation Letter Enclosed”; Malware Emails
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The claim
Subject: uk_confirmation_ph219801521.pdf
Confirmation letter enclosed. Please see attachment.
What the fact-checkers found
Malicious emails that claim to have a confirmation letter enclosed are currently being distributed by online criminals. The emails have the subject line “uk_confirmation_ph” followed by a string of random numbers and a PDF file extension.
The.pdf extension is apparently a way of tricking unwary recipients into believing that the attached file is a harmless PDF. However, the attachment is actually a.zip file that, if opened, reveals a.exe file. The.exe file also has the name “uk_confirmation_ph (random numbers)”.
If you click this.exe file, various types of malware may be installed on your computer.
Details, such as the subject and supposed sender address may vary in different versions of the malware emails.
If you receive one of these emails, do not open any attachments that it contains and do not click any links.
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This story was first published on September 19th, 2011
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