Shakira death hoax email spreads malware attack

Email users may have to think twice before responding to an email claiming popular Colombian singer Shakira has died.

The emails about Shakira's supposed death are part of the newest twist to an old scam where victims end up with data-stealing malware on their computers.

"This Spanish-language spam email reports the (fake) death of Shakira in a car accident. Attached is a Word document that contains a malicious macro," security researcher Conrad Longmore said on the Dynamoo blog site.

Last July, Shakira set a world record after she became the first person to reach 100 million likes on her Facebook account.

Longmore cited a Spanish-language sample of the email that claimed Shakira died in a "serious car accident" and offered "exclusive images and details" of the story.

When the recipient clicks on the attached document, a message pops out with instructions on how to remove the security settings from Microsoft Word.

"(W)hat will actually happen is that the malicious macro in the document will try to infect the PC," Longmore said.

Once the machine is infected, it will attempt to download more malware from a site.

Security expert Graham Cluley said this was the latest of an old trick to lure victims by using the names of celebrities.

"Take one pretty celebrity (take your pick from Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Anna Kournikova). Spam out an email claiming to contain sensational news about said celebrity (typically this will involve nakedness). Infect the recipient’s computer when they open the attached file/click on the link," he said.

Via : GMA