Fraudsters have attempted to cash in on two major news stories by sending out bogus emails appearing to be updates but that are actually a scam to steal people’s bank details.

Millions of people have been targeted as the death toll rose following the train disaster in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

They launched their campaign just a day after sophisticated criminals attempted to cash in on the birth of Prince George of Cambridge.

A “steady flow” of messages designed to look like emails from CNN have been sent out this week, according to analysts at web security firm Appriver.

In each case, the fraudsters rely on recipients clicking on links in the fake emails which claim to direct them to updates from the American news organisation.

But instead, unwitting readers are lured onto a webpage where their computer can be infected by a virus designed to steal their bank details.

The criminals also exploited the royal baby’s birth by sending out a mass of fake links to a live blogging site in a bid to steals bank details, web security experts said.

Fraudsters are believed to have targeted people just hours after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their new son to the world.

Analysts said the group launched its “malicious email campaign” on Tuesday evening.

Source Sky News