Malvertising (malicious advertising) typically exploits a vulnerability in a software program and recent variants do not require any user interaction to infect the user’s machine. Infections can include browser redirects to malicious sites, ransomware, bot creation, Trojans and more. Malicious software affects users, advertisers and publishers.

Phishing Alert: Rejected Federal Tax Payment Scam

zveloLABS detected a suspicious-looking email purporting to come from the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) of the U.S. Treasury Department. This email is fraudulent and claims that “Your Federal Tax Payment ID has been rejected.” The payment rejection is falsely attributed to the use of an invalid identification number. Here is an example of the actual phishing email (see image 01), followed by some observations that should raise red flags about its validity.