Gmail phishing email offers $500 prize

Low-rent conmen have crafted a phishing campaign that seeks to dupe gullible punters in emails posing as a random cash prize from Gmail, Google's popular web mail service.

The bogus email claims that prospective marks have been selected for a $500 cash prize. Users are invited to visit a website (via an embedded web link) in order to register their details to receive their "prize".

In reality, the site involved hosts malware. To add insult to injury it also attempts to trick surfers into handing over a "membership fee" of $8.60 to "Google Games" in order to secure their non-existent award.

As part of a separate malware-themed attack also in circulation this week, virus writers are seeking to trick business users into opening a Trojan infected attachment to an email that poses as a charge back notification from payment processing firm WorldPay. Neither attack has anything to do with the targeted organisations.

As phishing scams have become more commonplace fraudsters have expanded their range of targeted customers beyond traditional targets such as eBay and online banks. According to a recent survey by net security firm Sophos, 58 per cent of people receive a phishing email every day. ®