Within hours of the news breaking, ghouls were using Jobs' name to lure people to bogus online sites Within hours of the news Steve Jobs had died thieves were using his name to lure people to bogus online sites. On Facebook and elsewhere, scammers have already set up traps for the unwary. Stealing search engine traffic is possibly the most benign of these. Google “Steve Jobs Funeral” and there’s a scam site on the first page of results. A site called SteveJobsFuneral.com purports to have “Official News Report on the Death of Steve Jobs.” If you visit the site (don’t!) it at first appears to be legit. There’s a long bio of Jobs and links to videos. Try and leave the site and you get a pop-up saying, “BUY AN APPLE PRODUCT IN MEMORY OF STEVE JOBS AND GET FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS!” This is just wrong. It also tries to get e-mail addresses for an alleged 1-in-15 chance to win a Macbook. It also has affiliate advertising info so the site’s owners can get money for purchases made though the link. If I was MacMall I’d want to put a stop to that. The F-Secure blog reports the site was already registered on Sept. 20 – which just shows that these asses are forward thinking. A similar scam is being run on Facebook where an R.I.P. Steve Jobs page says, “In memory of Steve, a company is giving out 50 iPads.” There is then a bit.ly link which takes you to a site where you have to fill in innumerable surveys in order to “qualify for the chance to win.” The Naked Security blog reports more than 15,000 people had clicked on the link which went up right after the news broke. The writer also says he contacted friends at bit.ly to have the link shut down. Thank you! These types of scams happen around most major new events – like the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. As we see with the Steve Jobs Funeral site they not only ensnare people but companies as well. Anyone who goes to the site may think MacMall actually has something to do with it. What steps can you take to protect your company from this sort of damage? (A personal aside: While I am astounded at what Jobs’ did at Apple, I am most grateful for what he did with Pixar. Go here if you want to find out more. There’s no chance to win an iPad or MacBook.) Related content opinion Why Bitcoins are Just as Viable as Any Other Currency The true value of any currency is a reflection of how much people believe it's worth, according to CIO blogger Constantine von Hoffman. But it's wise to remember just how fast beliefs can change. By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 15, 2013 4 mins Government Technology Industry opinion No Surprise: Docs Show Obama Administration Lying About Drones President Obama has repeatedly said drones would only be used against members of al Qaida and allied groups. However, leaked intelligence documents show the administration has been using them to settle political and tribal feuds for at least four yea By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 10, 2013 3 mins Regulation Government opinion How Big Data Can Quickly Become Big Garbage The bigger the data the bigger the chance of mistakes or inaccuracies. In that vein, a large database used by retailers to screen people accused of stealing from employers is identifying innocent people and could result in major lawsuits, according t By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 04, 2013 2 mins Big Data opinion Why Crazy Trumps Logic on the Internet The earth is flat. Vaccines cause autism. 9/11 was a government conspiracy. These are just a few of the many ideas that continue to find adherents online despite overwhelming proof that they're not based on fact. CIO.com blogger Constantine von By Constantine von Hoffman Apr 02, 2013 3 mins Government Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe