US-CERT is aware of public reports of an increased number of spam campaigns, phishing attacks, and malicious code targeting the recent deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. These email messages may attempt to gain user information through phishing attacks or by recording email addresses if the user replies to the message. Additionally, email messages may contain malicious code or may contain a link to a seemingly legitimate website containing malicious code.

US-CERT would like to remind users to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited email. Users are encouraged to take the following measures to protect themselves from these types of attacks:

• Do not follow unsolicited web links received in email messages.
• Install and maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.

Read more: US-CERT Current Activity