New Phishing Scam Targets Oil Spill Victims

It’s really not surprising but it’s disgusting anyway. A new phishing attack is aimed squarely at the victims of the disaster in the Gulf. Emails claiming to be from BP CEO Tony Hayward are circulating on the net. The emails offer a $500,000 “grant” from the company in exchange for some personal info such as their bank account number and social security number, so the email claims, they can deposit your grant funding right away.

Authorities say the emails actually originate in Nigeria. The Florida Attorney General’s office is so concerned they issued a statewide alert about the scam. It’s not the first time scammers have exploited a tragedy and it won’t be the last. After pop legend Michael Jackson’s sudden and tragic death last year, spam campaigns exploiting the event exploded across the net, offering links to “exclusive” videos and autopsy photos. Similar spam campaigns have exploited the financial crisis, the death of actress Brittany Murphy, Swine Flu, the World Cup and other big news events. Holidays are also exploited and we can expect to see Halloween and Christmas themed spam start rising in a few months. Those types of spam campaigns often hawk fake pharmaceuticals and designer goods.

Authorities say while the person or group responsible for the fake BP emails hasn’t been tracked down yet, the United States Postal Inspection Service is investigating. The scammers may have to rethink their scam though as Tony Hayward is no longer CEO of BP.