Malicious email circulating

[Kip Powick]

A malicious email circulating on the Internet claiming there has been a deadly nuclear accident in Ontario is likely the doing of Russian fraudsters, an official with anti-virus company Symantec Canada says.

"Given the time of the year and the anniversary around the 9/11 terrorist attacks, these guys are just trying to capitalize on fear," said Dean Turner, director of the company's global intelligence network.

One version arrives with the heading "A report on radiation contamination in Canada" and talks about reports of a "powerful explosion at a Canadian nuclear power station located in the suburbs of Ontario" that took place at 3 p.m. on Sept. 9.

It encourages recipients to click on an attached file showing "explosion consequences and victims' bodies."

Turner said if a user clicks on the file it installs a Trojan program on their computer. "It opens a back door that goes to a site in Russia."

At that point, Turner said it's possible that more malicious programs can be uploaded or the computer itself can be remotely taken over. The Toronto Star was alerted to the email by Steve Aplin, an energy consultant in Ottawa.

"It's a continuation of a lot of the Internet threats we see today," said Turner, adding that different versions of the email – such as one claiming there has been a nuclear explosion in London, England – have also surfaced.