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FBI warns of new Oprah Winfrey scam

Consumers in the US have been warned by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) to watch out for a new phishing scam exploiting talk show host Oprah Winfrey's name.

The IC3 states that an email purporting to be from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is doing the rounds informing recipients that they have been nominated to participate in the "Oprah Millionaire Contest Show".

However, responding or following the instructions contained in the fraudulent email can lead to ID theft because it requests recipients to provide personal information as part of a registration process.

According to the IC3, internet users should keep an eye out and be "alert to unsolicited emails" such as this.

"Do not open unsolicited emails or click on any embedded links, as they may contain viruses or malware," warns the organisation, which adds: "Providing your personally identifiable information will compromise your identity!"

Having anti-spyware programmes and fully functional firewalls among other online security barriers is recommended to eliminate the risk of being compromised.

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