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Crooks target users with fake profiles

Cyber crooks are using fake profiles of leading figures such as
Beyonce Knowles, Victoria Beckham and Christina Aguilera to expose internet users to online threats, reports say.

This time, the LinkedIn professional networking service has been roped in for the trojan and malware-spreading attacks, which lure victims with the promise of nude videos of the stars, say online security experts.

Bogus profiles of the personalities including Christina Ricci, Kirsten Dunst, Salma Hayek, Kate Hudson, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Jaime Pressly and Lizzy Caplan among others have been unearthed.

Online security firms Trend Micro and Sophos have both commented in blog posts about the online threats posed by the attacks, which can leave end users infected by malware.

"It's a shame that LinkedIn aren't keeping a closer eye on obviously bogus profiles being created on their site," said Sophos' chief technology officer, Graham Cluley.

Recent weeks have been filled with reports of cyber crooks exploiting the popularity of social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, to find victims.

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