By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― The death of the notoriously evil North Korean leader put the cyber evil immediately to work. Within hours after news of Kim Jong-il’s sudden death broke Monday, online crooks moved quickly to cash in on the event.
Hackers set up online traps flashing links that claim to show ``exclusive’’ pictures of the late dictator’s body and series of mistresses, a malware hoax that could infect computers and steal personal information.
Some of the sites and e-mails carrying the so-called drive-by-downloads can install malware just by end-users loading and viewing a malicious page.
These scams are similar to the ones launched following the recent deaths of other tyrants like Osama bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi earlier this year.
But there is one difference, experts say.
``Kim’s death was far less dramatic compared to those of bin Laden and Gadhafi,’’ says Jack Reyonlds, a security researcher for Locked, an online security firm.
North Korea’s iron leader died from ``physical and mental overwork’’ while aboard train on his way to give field guidance, according to the country’s official news agency.
``There is less of that catchy, visual appeal so scammers are going to have to think hard to come up with some more creative ideas to draw curiosity from Internet users,’’ he said, adding that scams surrounding one particular event float around online for a few weeks.
Experts advise Facebook users to beware when clicking on pages and ads related to Kim’s death. Clicking on the ``like’’ button or sharing a link may end up giving away their contacts, which can help online criminals to scam their friends.
Users are advised to go directly to trusted and reputable sources for news instead of clicking at random links that pop up on Google and other search engine sites.
``Scammers are always looking for new hooks,’’ says Claire Rosenwig, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York. ``Consumers should stop and think before clicking an unknown link, no matter how intriguing and topical.’’
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