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Watch For Scams Newsletter. McDonalds Free Meal July 07, 2011 |
HelloMcDonalds Free MealWatch For Scams is dedicated to helping you avoid becoming a victim of fraud. If you like this ezine, do a friend a big favor and forward this to them. If a friend forwarded this to you, and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting the link below: McDonalds Free MealAn email scam hitting inboxes across the world is promoting a free dinner [or variations including lunch or breakfast] at one of the world’s largest fast-food chains. The catch is that you need to print the attached coupon, which is actually an executable for a well-established family of Malware.The message appears with the subject, “You don’t need to pay for your helpings this day”, and promises a free dinner or breakfast or lunch. “McDonalds invites you to The Free Dinner Day in every cafe of ours,” the randomly delivered message explains. According to the scam, the day’s free treats include Big N’ Tasty with Cheese, Chicken Selects, Premium Breast Strips, Premium Caesar Salad, Apple Dippers, and McCafe Mocha Frappe. “Print the invitation card attached to the letter and show it at the cash desk of any of our restaurants. Every manager will gladly take your card and issue you a tasty dish of Free Day. And remember! Free Day is a whole five free dishes! Thank you for your credence. We really appreciate it,” the message concludes. The wording of the email is mostly European, using promotional terms that would be rare, if not completely out of place for a U.S. promotion. Not to mention, the brand is spelled incorrectly. However, the attachment itself is the real problem as it contains a variant of the Bredolab family of Malware. Bredolab itself is a gateway, as once it is installed, it will download other Malware to the infected system. In an attempt to fool you into believing the file is safe, the EXE file has a Word icon. Don't forget - you should always be suspicious of unsolicited attachments sent to you via email!
If you have been a victim of this type of scam or any other Cyber crime, you can report it to the IC3 website at: www.IC3.gov. The IC3 complaint database links complaints for potential referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration. Complaint information is also used to identity emerging trends and patterns.
Remember - always watch for scams! Steve |
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