Valentine's Day brings out the cyber crooks

Surfers are urged to look out for Valentine's Day scams

Security experts have issued warnings of fresh web-based attacks as Valentine's Day approaches.

Attackers are using search engine optimisation techniques to achieve high rankings on results pages for common Valentine's Day searches.

The attack sites promise items such as screen savers, wallpapers and e-cards, but in fact contain malware designed to infect unsuspecting users.

"It's like clockwork. Valentine's Day approaches and malware authors and cyber criminals are ready for it," said McAfee Avert Labs director Dave Marcus in a blog post.

Internet users are advised to avoid suspicious links and unsolicited messages, keep systems updated and use well-maintained security software to minimise the risk of infection.

The use of current events has become a favoured tactic for malware writers in recent years. Malware botnets such as Storm and Dref-AB have both used the disguise of holiday cards and greeting sites to infect new users.