Relying on reports from online security experts, Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning people to beware of fraudulent e-mails and Web sites trying to take advantage of the current swine flu outbreak.
“Scammers know that using a hook from the day’s top headlines will help them to catch lots of fish,” said Dwight Kealoha, chief executive officer of Hawaii’s BBB. “Right now, the hook is the swine flu.”
According to McAfee Avert Labs, an online security company, spammers began pumping out electronic junk mail as soon as the first reports of swine flu were in the news. Swine flu spam accounts for about five percent of the global spam volume or 4.5 billion e-mails a day. The spam messages have subject lines such as, “Madonna caught swine flu!” and “US swine flu statistics,” and include links to fake online pharmacies or malicious software sites.
Online security sources also report that more than 250 Web sites with the words “swine flu” in the address were registered within the first few days of the outbreak. Some of these Web sites are being used in a variety of online scams, including claims of a vaccination against the virus, however no such vaccine exists.
BBB offers the following advice to avoid swine flu scams:
- If you receive an e-mail from an unknown source, don’t open it or click on any links or files attached. Instead, delete the e-mail or forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.
- Make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software is up to date and all operating system security patches are installed. If your computer is infected as the result of a swine flu spam or Web site, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center .
- Follow health advice only from a trusted source, and don’t believe product claims to prevent or cure swine flu. Current, reliable and accurate information on swine flu in Hawaii is available by calling the Swine Flu Information Line at 866-767-5044 and at the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Web site.
For more tips to protect yourself from online scams, go to
bbb.org.