Online scamsters cashing in on Steve Jobs' death on FB

Washington, Oct 10: With the death of the tech wizard and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, scammers seem to be making the most of the tragic situation. They are devising a plan to hit Facebook users with an online scam that promises to offer free iPads in his memory.

The revelations were made by computer anti-virus firm Sophos which stated that the scamsters urged Facebook users to click on a link to register for free Apple Inc products only to later be coerced into completing online surveys or entering gambling sites. The scammers benefit when innocent users click the various links and profit after they get commissions based on the amount of traffic they bring to the websites, revealed Graham Cluley, a researcher with Sophos.

With this latest scam not focussing on a computer virus, Sophos stated that online criminals said that malicious campaigns could be planned in the event of Jobs' death. Cluley commented through the Sophos blog, "They could just as easily have taken those users to a webpage containing malicious code or a phishing page designed to steal credentials."

This latest trend by online scamsters concentrate on linking scams with latest news, latest tragedy or celebrity gossip. They attract users by offering free products and masking them in fake Facebook messages, Tweets or emails.

OneIndia News