Internet users are receiving e-mail death threats in what was described by one expert as one of the ‘sickest ever’ online scams.
Security experts say the e-mails claim to come from a hired hitman apparently tasked with killing the recipient.
Upon receiving a payment of $20,000 the hitman claims taped evidence will be sent to the recipient proving they are to be killed.
The e-mail adds paying the sender $80,000 will result in the contract killer ‘betraying’ his orders and dropping the contract.
Reporting the e-mail to the police or FBI is warned against because the assassin “might be pushed to do what i have being paid to do.”
Aside from the e-mail’s poor spellings, users may identify the message by its cheery greeting of “Good day,” under the subject line of "Read this to be safe and a new life in this new year."
Graham Cluley of security firm Sophos, which intercepted the e-mails, said: “"This is surely one of the sickest phishes yet seen.
“The intention of this e-mail is quite clearly to frighten the recipient into coughing up a substantial amount of money or, at the very least, their bank account details.”
All computer users were vulnerable to the messages, particularly the not-so-innocent who are arguably even more likely to be hoodwinked, he said.
“It may be hugely unnerving to receive such threats, but the only way to stop the distribution of these messages is for users to stop responding."
The firm said people who are drawn into the scam are likely to be coerced into making further payments, or disclosing data that the fraudster may use to commit identity theft.
Jan 15, 2007
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