New Phishing email scam relies on H1N1 flu worries

December 2, 2009 – 5:10 pm

h1n1 A new phishing email is making the rounds. The email appears to be a message sent to you from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and asks you to fill out your “personal H1N1 vaccinating profile.” When you click on the link it takes you to an official looking site that asks for your name, contact information and medical history. Even if you don’t fill out the information clicking on the link will download a malicious program that can relay passwords and login information to hackers.

There are a few immediate warning flags that tell you this email isn’t legit. First, the government would never ask for your personal details through an email. Second, no official agency would ask you to list your medical details by email either (keep those between your doctor and yourself). Third, the amount of sophistication required to seek, gather and refine the data asked for is far and above the capacity of our government (as demonstrated by any DMV line).

Other ways you can guard yourself against these types of phishing attempts is to do a little research on your own. If the email looks convincing and says it’s from the CDC then go to the official CDC website and check it for yourself. If they have a program like this they would have it detailed in a press release. Never click on a link directly from an email even if it appears to be from your credit card company or banking institution. You can always go directly to their site and get the details for yourself.

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