New Email Scam Targets eBay Users   - 1,755 Views, 1 Comment

The newest spam scam to hit eBay users is a spam which is infected with what is known as a “keylogger”. When a user opens the infected email, which then has them log into their eBay account, it can record the keystrokes typed by the user, capturing the user’s account name and password, and sending them back to the person behind the spam.

Armed with the hapless user’s account information, the baddie can then log into the user’s account, and from there will launch a number of tricks. A favourite seems to be noting auctions on which the user has bid, and lost, and sending email to the user telling them that they actually won the auction, and requesting payment. The user, of course, is thrilled to have actually won the auction, sends the payment, and then waits for receipt of the goods. And waits. And waits. Because, of course, the goods never come.

It is being advised that the best defense against keylogging is to make sure that your anti-virus software is up-to-date, with current virus definitions (as the keylogging part of the spam will be detected by the virus checker).