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Apple iTunes targeted by phishers

Popular music site is targeted by phony site where thieves ask for credit card, social security, and mother's maiden name information.

Robert Vamosi Former Editor
As CNET's former resident security expert, Robert Vamosi has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets to share his knowledge about the latest online threats and to offer advice on personal and corporate security.
Robert Vamosi

We've seen banks, even eBay and PayPal, all targeted by phishers. Now they've turned their attention to iTunes, creating a bogus site that reportedly looks like an iTunes billing page asking for current credit card information.

"We've never seen Apple as the target," Proofpoint's Andrew Lochart told Computerworld on Tuesday. "It's probably indicative that the bad guys see Apple's online presence as large enough to be a target."

In addition to asking for credit card information, the phony iTunes page also asks for one's social security number and mother's maiden name.

In general, if you receive an e-mail with a link to a site requesting personal financial information, be very cautious about proceeding. Bookmark or type in the URLs for sites containing financial information, such as your bank or e-commerce sites like iTunes. Never link directly from an unsolicited e-mail.