Memphis, TN, February 13, 2008 – Many people send e-cards for Valentine’s Day but some of them are not spreading love. If you unexpectedly receive a Valentine’s Day e-card, be careful. It may not be from a secret admirer, but instead might contain the Storm Worm virus.
According to the FBI, Valentine's Day has been identified as the next target of the Storm Worm, which has capitalized on various holidays in the last year by sending millions of these spam emails. The email directs the recipient to click on a link to retrieve an electronic Valentine’s Day card. Once the link is clicked, the Storm Worm invades your computer, causing it to become infected and part of the Storm Worm botnet.
A botnet is a network of infected computers under the control of a single user. Botnets are typically set up to facilitate criminal activity such as:
· spam email
· identity theft
· denial of service attacks
· the spread of malware to other machines on the Internet
Be wary of any email received from an unknown sender and do not click on any links provided. Delete any unsolicited e-mails without opening them.
“If you don’t recognize the sender’s name and email address don’t open it" said Nancy Crawford, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.
If you have received this, or a similar e-mail, you can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. IC3 serves as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime.
BBB Alert warns you about scams that may cost your business or employees money. As soon as we learn about a scam, you’ll know about it. We may also send you other important BBB Accredited Business information. We will not share your email address with third parties. If you would prefer not to receive these alerts, please reply to this email with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.