Information Security Advisory
ITS Security Office – BGSU  6/15/2010

Fraudulent email about trademarks. DO NOT CLICK ON INCLUDED LINKS!

Systems Affected
All BGSU email users.

Overview
There are recent reports regarding fraudulent email about trademarks. Although the domain addresses may be legitimate, the included link in the email directs the user to an Excel spreadsheet that may malicious. The following are two edited examples:

#1
From: Margery E. Rush [mailto:margery.rushdk@novelideas-ghast.com]
Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2010 5:58 PM
To: xxxx@bgsu.edu
Subject: IP property suit filed.

Our company is a registered trademark, the logo our company uses,
shown along with you'r companie's website links can be be found at the
following address:
http://www.novelideas-books.com/documents/spreadsheet.xls

#2

From: Ken Oconnor [mailto:k.oconnorqb@novelideas-bras.com]
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 11:05 AM
To: xxxx@bgsu.edu
Subject: Filing suit.

We have been informed of the website(s) you'r company owns, registered
through Go Daddy Domains.
As the registrant, we asks that you remove all references to us and our
products.

As a network marketing company we do not permit its name to be used in
any URL or email address and
the company must take necessary action to protect its intellectual
property.
It is not permitted for a third party vendor to use our trade name in
any form.

Link to a list of the trademark material:
http://www.stjohnlutheran.org/docs/spreadsheet.xls

Do not click on any of the included links and delete immediately!

Impact
This can lead to loss of private information and may cause malware infection.

DISCLAIMER:   Information Security Advisories and related resources provide technical and administrative advice to protect sensitive information on the University network and to help BGSU comply with regulations pertaining to information security.  Failure to comply with these advisories may directly or indirectly increase the risk of exposure or compromise of sensitive University information.  These advisories and resources do not provide legal advice – contact the BGSU Office of General Counsel or other appropriate legal advisor for interpretations of regulations.