Hackers are using the story of the killer whale that killed its US trainer at SeaWorld to try to infect computers and steal people's credit card details, an internet security company warned.

"Searching for terms such as 'killer whale video pictures' and 'Dawn Brancheau video' can lead you to dangerous search results," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at internet security company Sophos.

"You could argue that anyone hunting for footage of this horrific accident deserves everything that's coming to them, but the real sick ones here are the hackers who are trying to profit from the death of an innocent woman in a tragic accident," he said on his blog.

Hackers have created webpages which appear to contain "ghoulish video footage" of veteran trainer Ms Brancheau being dragged into the water of a pool at SeaWorld in Florida by a massive killer whale called Tilikum, but when web users click on the link, a fake anti-virus alert pops up on their computer.

The alerts tell users there is a security problem with their computer, and urge them to download an anti-malware program, which requires handing over their credit card details.

The bogus alerts are very difficult to remove and can cause a computer to freeze up.

Hackers used the same tactic after the death of actress Natasha Richardson in a skiing accident in Canada, and the death of actor Patrick Swayze after a long battle with cancer, Mr Cluley said
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/27/2831968.htm?section=world
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