McDonalds gives MP3 players infected with spyware as prizes

[Tony]

from the article on the page that has got to be 80% ads (and content appearing below the fold)..

Quote:

in August when McDonalds Japan in association with Coca Cola announced a contest ... In all 10,000 winners were announced and each got a Mac branded flash DAP preloaded with 10 tunes. However the MP3 players were infected with QQpass a very dangerous malware. So your PC is infected once you connect the DAP and it starts logging and transmitting username, passwords and other vital information. McDonalds Japan has apologized and set up a 24 hour helpline for those affected by the spyware loaded MP3 player.

Simply amazing

[Null]

Maybe I'm just a cynic, but the source doesn't look reliable. It appears to be a random blogger who posts information without actually having any reference to it (unless I'm missing something. Entirely possible -- I'm known to be oblivious :p ).

Anything on CNN, BBC, or CBC, etc?

[jamonathin]

Site looks fine to me. Just looks like another version of shoutwire. Rather intersting tho, you'd think they would get sued/fined ...

[Tony]

Null wrote:

Maybe I'm just a cynic, but the source doesn't look reliable.

Good call, there appear to be no references to the event other than this one source.

[ZeroPaladn]

Googled it, nothing other than that one site. Still, if it was true, I can so see McDonalds doing that.

[Mazer]

I can't. And this is from someone who absolutely hates them.
What would they have to gain?

[ZeroPaladn]

Perhaps someone hoping to deter people from McDonalds. Or someone who thought it would be funny to post something to demean one of the largest fast food provider on the planet. I wonder what McDonalds would do when they find that site?

[Tony]

that depends on how widespread the story gets, and what kind of fineprint the site actually has.

I have previously came across a blog that would regularly post made up 'scientific' experiments, just to see who would fall for them. Apparently it has been getting hundreds of trackback links, requests from teachers to perform those experiments in class, and even made it to the front page of digg at some point. Anyways, they've got a giant declaimer that everything is fake and the blog is a social experiment.

So you never know.

[ZeroPaladn]

Tony wrote:

...Anyways, they've got a giant declaimer that everything is fake and the blog is a social experiment.

So you never know.

Nothing like that on the site (as far as i can tell).

$5 says this is just someone ranting. Oh, and I'll e-mail this page to the McDonalds website. I'll let you all know what kind of reply I get.

[War_Caymore]

bro, whatever happends, don't start a war againsed macdonalds... at least not without me

anywho, i agree with zero. probably just someone trying to make M'keyDs look bad. Also, the site dsen't look very valid.

[Tony]

except that the 'news' has now made its way to Engadget, and from there to the front page of Digg.

[Amailer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6062074.stm
Well there you have it, official ^^ thats pretty sad

[ZeroPaladn]

Lol, it wasn't bulls*** after all. Now McDonald's is in for some s***.

[War_Caymore]

ok, NOW that looks valid. i read over the article and it isn't looking too jgood for McDonalds right now.

To show my support, i will eat a&w instead!

[bugzpodder]

Apple has also claimed their IPods are infected with spyware that targets windows machines. It was due to one of its production machines getting infected. there were less than 25 reported cases.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20061019/tc_usatoday/windowsvirusthatlandedonsomenewvideoipodsnowfixed;_ylt=ApsUKtRhmhyHrdlvtDZXsSYjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA0cDJlYmhvBHNlYwM-