Michael Jackson Suicide Message Points to Trojan

Outline:
Email claims that singer Michael Jackson has made a suicide attempt and asks the recipient to click on the link to read more information



Status:
False information and link leads to a trojan

Detailed Analysis:
An email claiming to contain breaking news about singer Michael Jackson is currently hitting inboxes. The email claims that Jackson has attempted suicide and urgers the recipient to click on a link to read more information.

However, clicking the link leads the recipient to a website that attempts to download and install a malicious trojan on the user’s computer. According to Sophos, the malicious website displays a message that the site is too busy. However, this is just another trick. While users are waiting to access the “busy” site, malware is being downloaded to their computer without their knowledge. The malware is a variant of the Borobt-Gen trojan.

Jackson’s high profile and the current media frenzy surrounding the singer’s trial mean that many curious recipients will be lured into clicking the link included in the email.

If you receive this email DO NOT CLICK ON THE INCLUDED LINK.

References
Michael Jackson suicide spam leads to Trojan horse, reports Sophos