Hackers thrive on holidays and major headline stories. Michael Jackson’s death is no small story. More than 13,000 blogs have been published since the story broke about his tragic death. Hackers are now setting up Phishing scams to lure in their victims. Phishing and pharming are two popular forms of fraud that aim to dupe victims into believing they are at a trusted Web site such as their bank, when in fact they have been enticed to a bogus Web site that intends to steal their identity and drain their financial resources.

Cybercrime is motivated by fraud, typified by the bogus emails sent by “phishers” that aim to steal personal information. The tools driving their attacks and fueling the blackmarket are crimeware – bots, Trojan horses, and spyware.

With the passing of Michael Jackson, hackers are now preparing the ultimate scam to convince online users to make donations to the Michael Jackson Foundation or something to that affect. It’s cold and cruel to play on people’s hearts and especially fans of the King of Pop.

Do not share or click on any information that portrays itself as a foundation, fund, connected to Michael Jackson. These scams will start to percolate over the next week.

What To Do If You’re a Victim?

You can visit http://www.fraud.org/ to report on the following crimes:

  • Telemarketing Fraud
  • Internet Fraud
  • Scams Against Businesses
  • Scams Against Elderly
  • Counterfeit Drugs
  • Fraud News

Surf safe and surf smart!