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Cyber-Crooks Taking Advantage of iPad Frenzy

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

Hackers are loading up fake websites with scareware amidst the iPad frenzy, reeling in the curious with fake information.

Wednesday seemed like The Day The Internet Stood Still... or at least, it did for those who sat on edge as Steve Jobs caressed his new iPad on stage. Unfortunately, web surfers wanting more juicy information than what Apple's front man provided have found themselves in a world of financial hurt.

According to various computer security firms such as Trend Micro and Symantec, cyber-crooks have thrown up “booby-trapped” websites with fake information about the new Apple iPad tablet. The websites are loaded with query terms that lure in surfers with the fake bait... and then pounce on the unsuspecting victims with “scareware.” Believing that they are infected, Internet users cough up money for the supposed fix.

"Sadly, this is just the kind of opportunity fraudsters like to exploit by poisoning search terms," Symantec security expert Candid Wueest told AFP on Friday. "We can also expect to see iPad-related spam and phishing attacks hitting consumers hard over the coming weeks. We'd advise the curious to be on their guard."

Ivan Macalintal of Trend Micro said that the scareware scam began on Wednesday. However this latest stunt isn't anything new--hackers normally take events and use them to exploit the curious. Recent attempts took place after the earthquake in Haiti, and immediately after the death of Michael Jackson.

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mcaalrington 02/01/2010 1:02 PM
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lol

psycho sykes 02/01/2010 1:03 PM
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Hackers have nothing to do this days!

hotchrisbfries 02/01/2010 1:24 PM
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It's not hacking, it's social engineering. It is the ability to gain peoples trust and using that information for your own nefarious purposes.

r3t4rd 02/01/2010 2:26 PM
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r3t4rd 02/01/2010 2:39 PM
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Pailin 02/01/2010 2:42 PM
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am surprised people would stoop as low as to try and take advantage of something like Haiti to scam people

I was sorry to hear that even in these times :pfff:

Platypus 02/01/2010 2:50 PM
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For people ignorant enough to fall for something like this, chances are they really do have malware on their computer. So it's sort of like a half-truth. *chuckle*

BluntObjection 02/01/2010 2:55 PM
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Everyone should just hire 11 year old girls with crutches...

Anonymous 02/01/2010 3:20 PM
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Social Engineering is the greatest tool a hacker has at their disposal. I once socially engineered an auto dealer to find me a black RX8 (they didn't have one on the lot), let me take it out for the weekend (Prom), and then return it to them, free of charge. I enfuriated the lot of them when I didn't end up purchasing the car and the auto guy called me a few weeks later. He'd been drinking, and I imagine he was pleading with me to buy a car, unfortunately I couldn't understand him. Was it wrong to do that? I never lied to them once, I made myself clear that I would have to get approval from my father to get the car, yet I believe their greed at the opportunity to overcharge me $7000 got the better of them, and this is what helped me feel better at socially engineering them.

nekatreven 02/01/2010 4:18 PM
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r3t4rd :
Faith in mankind fell short long time ago when Adam ate the Apple of the Mac tree....and "bimbo" like, Eve joined in. Go figure why we have Paris Hilton sporting the latest Mach Fashion "It's Hot!" as well. *sigh*...yes we are doomed.



I don't really understand your reference, but thought I might point out that in the original story, Eve ate first.

Nimmist 02/01/2010 9:44 PM
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There is an iPad frenzy?

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