Sophos, the Internet security firm, has warned computer users against the latest ‘death threat spam’, from a professional hitman who befools the PC users by sending an e-mail wherein potential victims are told to have a $50,000 contract on their lives, and claims to spare your life if the required amount is paid to him. Sophos claims that the he’s actually just a spammer who is using a technique known as “spear phishing” in the hope of getting lucky
In less-than-perfect English, the e-mail claims that the receiver has been trailed by a hired assassin over the last ten days however the hitman is ready to crash the contract if paid a sum of $80,000. He, after a down payment of $20,000, also promises to give taped proof of the contract.
The spammer further adds:
Do not contact the police or F.B.I. or try to send a copy of this to them, because if you do I will know, and might be pushed to do what I have being paid to do, beside, this is the first time I turned out to be a betrayer in my job.
The e-mail, from an Irish Yahoo address, opens with a cheerful greeting of ‘Good day’, ends “Lucky You” and generally has the subject line “Read this to be safe and a new life in this new year”.
