Monday, March 14, 2011

Spammers Running Japan Tsunami Scams, Says Norton

Beware emails seeking donations for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster, Internet security firm Norton reported Monday. According to Norton, it has detected more than 50 fradulent domains looking to scam people out of people looking to help victims of the 8.9 earthquake. Norton reported that spammers have already started to try to take advantage of the outpouring of support for the victims in Japan, pleading for donations. In addition, Norton said that "419" scammers--those emails, often associated with Nigeria, claiming email receivers are due "millions of dollars" as "next of kin"--have already started circulating. Norton recommended that users think before sending online donations to organizations they have not heard of, and also to be careful about opening emails about the disaster, as they might carry malware or security risks. Among the established, trusted companies looking to help raise money for victims include Google and Amazon.com, who have set up donation pages for the Red Cross, which also has its own donation page. Norton is the Internet security brand of Symantec Corp.

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