Virgin Australia eTicket Malware Email
This email, which purports to be from Virgin Australia, simply thanks you for choosing to travel with the airline.
The message includes an attached file that supposedly contains an electronic ticket receipt.
However, the email is not from Virgin Australia and the attachment does not contain a ticket receipt.
Instead, the attached .zip file harbours a .exe file that - if opened - can install malware on your computer. Once installed, this malware may download and install even more malware. The malware may allow cybercriminals to take control of the compromised computer. It may also collect sensitive information such as passwords from the infected computer and send it to the criminals.
This is just one in a series of malware emails that have claimed to contain ticket information. The fraudulent emails have used the names of several high-profile airlines around the world.
The criminals behind these malware campaigns hope that at least a few people will be panicked into opening the attachment because they fear that their credit card or bank account has been compromised and used to purchase airline tickets.
And, of course, people who really are booked to travel with the targeted airline may be more easily tricked into opening the attached file.
Be wary of any unsolicited email that claims to contain a receipt for a purchase that you know nothing about. This is a very common scammer ploy.
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Subject: Virgin Australia e-Ticket April [Date Chnages]
Thank you for choosing to travel with Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia
Attached File Name: Electronic ticket receipt, April PDF Document.zip
Last updated: April 16, 2015
First published: April 16, 2015
By Brett M. Christensen
References
Qantas 'E-Ticket Itinerary Receipt' Malware Email
Malware Threat Articles
