Update 27 /1/ 05
Christopher Pierson, of Ruskington Lincolnshire – Photo BBC Lincolnshire
BBC Lincolnshire Video - Streaming
Man
jailed over tsunami e-mails
A man who sent out hoax e-mails
falsely telling people their holidaying relatives had been killed by the Asian
tsunami has been jailed for six months.
Christopher Pierson, 40, from Ruskington, Lincs, sent 35
e-mails after seeing pleas for information on the Sky News website.
BBC Lincolnshire 24 /1/ 05
4Law - A
Matthew Z. Schmieder
FBI
Affidavit: US v. Matthew Z. Schmieder
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Fake
tsunami plea spreads virus |
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Hackers use the subject line "Tsunami donation! Please
help!" to infect computers with worm. |
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17 January 2005
Tsunami disaster donation plea is really a virus, Sophos reports
Virus experts at Sophos have
discovered a mass-mailing worm that poses as a plea for donations to help with
the
The W32/VBSun-A worm
spreads via email, tempting innocent users into clicking onto its malicious
attachment by pretending to be information about how to donate to a tsunami
relief effort. However, running the attached file will not only forward the
virus to other internet users but can also initiate a denial-of-service attack
against a German hacking website.
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The email
sent by the VBSun-A worm. |
Emails sent by the worm have the following characteristics:
Subject line:
Tsunami Donation!
Please help!
Message text:
Please help us with
your donation and view the attachment below! We need you!
Attachment name:
tsunami.exe
"Duping innocent users into believing that they may be
helping the tsunami disaster aid efforts shows hackers stooping to a new
low," said Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant at Sophos. "This
gruesome insensitivity is a despicable ploy to get curious computer users to
run malicious code on their computers. Everyone should be wary of unsolicited
email attachments, and visit the established charity websites
instead if they wish to assist those suffering as a result of the
disaster."
W32/VBSun-A is not the first virus to try and take advantage
of the tsunami disaster in an attempt to spread. The VBS/Geven-B
worm tried to spread a sick message earlier this month that the tsunami was
God's revenge on "people who did bad on earth". There have also been
a number of email scams
distributed by criminals posing as victims in an attempt to steal money.
Although there have only been a small number of reports of
the W32/VBSun-A worm, Sophos recommends computer
users ensure their anti-virus software is up-to-date, and that companies
protect themselves with a consolidated solution
which can defend them from the threats of both spam and viruses.
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/articles/vbsuna.html
THE HOAXER'S EMAIL
Christopher Pierson sent a
hoax email to 35 people who posted their details at Sky News Online telling them their
loved ones caught up in the tsunami disaster were dead.
The hoax email, which purported to
be from the "Foreign Office Bureau" in
This is the email he
penned:
Dear Sir/Madam
Following your enquiry for
information on the people you named on the Sky message board, it is with deep
regret that from information from our embassy staff, ALL the named people in
your enquiry have been confirmed as deceased.
For more assistance of help
please do not hesitate to call the foreign office embassy help line that has
been issued, there are many more lines now available.
We are very sorry to have to
confirm this news. Further information as to returning to the
Unfortunately, it is thought
after careful investigation that the British figures for those who have died
will exceed 3,200 which is one of the main reasons for the delay in informing
all those who are enquiring. There is currently a news 'hold' on these figures.
Next of kin will be informed
officially within the next 48 hours.
Foreign office bureau,
source : sky.com
Top Page of the Messages
source : sky.com
source : the sun
