Beware of the Bin Laden cyber-scams

By Melissa Ruggieri

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

There are no free airplane tickets to celebrate Osama Bin Laden’s death.

FILE - In this May 2, 2011 file photo, a Pakistan army soldier stands on top of the house where it is believed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The Americans who raided Osama bin Laden's lair met far less resistance than the Obama administration described in the aftermath, according to its latest account. The commandos encountered gunshots from only one man, whom they quickly killed, before sweeping the house and shooting others, who were unarmed, a senior defense official said. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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There are no official photos or video, either.

And sorry, that sandwich chain supposedly giving away subs gratis because of the demise of the terrorist leader? Not happening.

But you might have seen e-mails, Facebook links or Twitter posts blaring those very offers.

They’re cons. All of them.

Don’t click on them, forward them or justify their existence in any way.

The Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers nationwide of such cyber-scams that have proliferated in the days since Bin Laden’s announced death.

Clicking on a fishy link or opening an e-mail with a subject line trumpeting some kind of Bin Laden-related freebie could infect your computer with a virus or propagate phishing expeditions.

“When something like this happens, it brings out the best and worst in people,” said Dottie Callina, manager of communications for the Better Business Bureau serving Metro Atlanta, Athens and Northeast Georgia. “When anything this big happens – even the royal wedding – there are going to be issues like this pop up. But with the enormity of Bin Laden, things tend to get crazy.”

Callina didn’t have specifics from Kaspersky Labs, the Internet security firm that has been tracking the cyber-scams, as to what the viruses might do to a computer.

“We haven’t heard what type they are, but just a small virus is enough to make you want to go home for the day and a bad virus can delete everything on your computer,” Callina said.

Kaspersky Labs has discovered malware spreading through Google Images and Facebook “likejacking” campaigns, which is, according to security-focused SC Magazine, when a link brings a user to a Facebook page, asks for a code to be copied and pasted into the brower’s address bar to watch a video and in the process, transmits personal information to the creator of the scam.

Anyone with uncertainties about suspicious e-mails or websites is urged to check the bbb.org website or call 404-766-0875.

But the best approach, Callina said, is: “If it sounds too good to be true, delete it.”