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October 1, 2007 5:00 AM PDT

Is that an IM link or a malware trap?

by Jessica Dolcourt
  • 6 comments
Spyware Horror Story

If an IM link from a friend pops up on your screen, do you click it right away? Most people, like Eivind, do. Most don't end up with a PC-killing worm.

Malicious IM links are a growing threat to users, and Eivind got dished an unpleasant preview of the trend we have to look forward to. Can she warn her friends of the deception before they're compromised too?

Watch the story unfold in this week's tale of Trojan trouble, "Malware's IM hideaway." You can also access the Spyware Horror Story archives for more stories and tips for staying safe online.

May 10, 2007 5:26 PM PDT

Yahoo 360's gone phishin'

by Jessica Dolcourt
  • 2 comments

A new phishing scam is circulating through Yahoo IM lists, sending emoticon-laden links to contacts on an infected account. Indeed, CNET's own Yahoo Messenger users have not been immune.

Dangerous phishing link

Phishing link sent through Yahoo IM.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The link reads as a Geocities.com URL, but spoofs a Web page advertising Yahoo 360, a social-networking service.

Spoofed Yahoo 360 langing

Spoofed landing page for rigged Yahoo 360 service.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Phishing schemes simulate legitimate Web sites to trap users into giving up their account information. With that information harvested, security fraudsters can sell your passcodes or exploit them directly by breaking into your bank or personal account. From there, the possibilities for fraud are varied.

While many phishing schemes are poor approximations of the real deal, with sketchy graphics and spelling and grammar errors, this Yahoo 360 spoof is more believable. ... Read more

May 3, 2007 9:41 AM PDT

Bring on the Mac-versus-PC spoofs!

by Jessica Dolcourt
  • 4 comments

What's more fun than a little competitive rivalry? Spoofs of competitive rivalry, that's what!

Apple's "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ads (watch them at Apple) have stirred up the international cultural imagination, spawning spoofs of the newly classic campaign.

Mac versus PC, South Park style

This video spoof takes a swipe at Macs and PCs.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Here are two new favorites to add to your collection. Wired points us to this South Park-style gem. True to the cartoon's saucy style, neither OS avoids taking heat.

CNET UK's Vista versus OX S Shakespearean duel.

It's a duel to the finish for Vista and OS X--we mean Othello and Iago.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Then CNET UK holds a joust--literally--with Mac OS X and Windows Vista. CNET is a big fan of staging prizefights, but CNET UK goes old-school with this software rendition of Othello, complete with Elizabethan crossdressing.

If you've got your own personal favorite spoofs, send them our way. We can always use another laugh.

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