Fraudsters cash in on region's generosity and altruism, say Trend Micro

TrendLabs research has identified a number of new attacks that take the form of commentary on current events, especially natural disasters. When concerned individuals visit a nominated website to offer their assistance, they receive misleading instructions to download spyware or visit a compromised website.

Events such as the recent flooding in the western Yemen, the Pakistan earthquake of 2005 or even the fatal poisonings of almost 2000 camels in Saudi Arabia provide the kind of stories with which devious operators can get a toe-hold in an individual's computer.

The rapid take-up of personal computing and Internet access in the Gulf region has meant that many first-time users are exposed to some long-established online scams. Simultaneously, the web threat landscape is changing so that new and unfamiliar menaces are becoming widespread.
"People face great difficulties with web-based threats. People's good intentions lead them to websites that purportedly help out the victims of earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters, but these open the door to malware and identity theft," said Samir Kirouani, online security expert, Trend Micro.

Attacks on network integrity take a number of basic forms, which are described in daily updates on the TrendLabs web log (http://blog.trendmicro.com/). Those behind the attacks will then disguise links to the source of malicious software within topical stories.

Prospective charitable donors, concerned relatives and even voyeurs seeking grisly footage from a "breaking news" story are then redirected to a website where they will be tricked into downloading one or more web threats directly onto their machines.

By warning of the dangers of malicious software and new forms of hi-tech fraud, Trend Micro hopes to ensure that the growing use of the internet Gulf region will not be accompanied by a parallel growth in fraud.