Criminals are targeting internet users with a new gift certificate scam. Users receive an email that claims to be from Apple's iTunes store, but the attached ZIP file contains malware that may allow hackers to gain access to the recipient's computer.[25 November 2011]

Eleven Security blog says the attack appears to have been timed to coincide with Black Friday, one of the US's busiest shopping days.

Black Friday was the name used by Philadelphia's police department in the 1960s to describe the day after Thanksgiving because of all the traffic jams caused by people visiting the city's stores. It is now viewed by many retailers as the start of the Christmas shopping season. They mark the day with one-off discounts and other special offers.

Eleven says the period has become one of the most popular times for internet scammers to target users. The security firm says that users are told they have been sent $50 (£32) of iTunes store credit and need to open an attached file to find out their certificate code. The file contains a program known as Mal/BredoZp-B.

PCthreat.com says the software opens up a backdoor on Windows users' computers and may also capture passwords and other information. It says the code may also slow down the infected computer's performance and make files disappear.

The malware can be removed with the use of anti-spyware tools.

Read more on the BBC website

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