‘DSVX Virus’ Yahoo Email Phishing Scam
Outline
Message claiming to be from Yahoo asks recipients to update their Yahoo email account on the grounds that a 'DSVX virus' has been detected in their account.
© Depositphotos.com/ dacasdo
Brief Analysis
The message is not from Yahoo and the recipient does not have a 'DSVX virus' as claimed. It is a phishing scam designed to steal user account login details. The compromised accounts will be hijacked by criminals and used for further scam and spam campaigns.Example
Hello,
We detect dsvx Virus in your Yahoo! Mail
account So it's time to update, before you
lose your email access.
UPDATE YOUR YAHOO! MAIL BY CLICKING YOUR REPLY BOTTON
Username:___________
Yahoo Email Address:____________
Password:________________
Confirm Password:_____________
Email Security Question:_____________
Email Security Answer:_____________
Present County:__________________
Phone Number:_____________
Date Of Birth:___________________
Your email service won't be affected and
you'll keep all your old contacts, folders
and messages. Plus you'll get:
* faster email
* the latest spam protection
* unlimited email storage.
Thanks you for your Understanding
Yahoo inc 2014
Detailed Analysis
This email, which purports to be from Yahoo, claims that a 'DSVX Virus' has infected the recipient's email folder. The message warns users that they may lose access to their email if they do not fix the issue by replying with their account login details.
However, the message is not from Yahoo. It is a phishing scam designed to trick people into giving their email account details to online criminals.
If users were to comply with the instructions in the scam email, the criminals could gain access to their email accounts and use them to send out further spam and scam messages to everyone on the contact lists belonging to victims.
Yahoo or other email service providers are never likely to ask users to send their login details or other sensitive personal information via an unsecured email.
This scam is very similar to an earlier phishing campaign that claimed user accounts were infected with the 'DGTFX virus'.
Last updated: May 13, 2014
First published: May 13, 2014
Written by Matt T. Christensen
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References
Phishing Scam Articles
'DGTFX Virus' Email Account Phishing Scam