Last year, he says, phishers targeted Wikipedia with a large number of spam emails that directed unsuspecting users to a fraudulent Wikipedia website.
"Currently, we are observing a new spam tactic being used, which targets the Wikipedia name for the promotion of fake pharmaceutical products", he said in his latest security blog.
Over the last couple of days, he notes, Symantec has observed various spam email messages that use a wiki template to promote bogus online pharmacies.
The `Subject' line in these attacks has a lot of randomisation. The `From' header is either fake or a hijacked ISP account that gives a personalised look to the email, Patil reports.
In one example cited, he said that spammers are promoting pharmacy products at a discounted price using a wiki-style layout. The web page pretends to be that of `WikiPharmacy.'
"The volume of spam in this latest attack is quite high. Needless to say is that Wikipedia's popularity is being exploited here, considering its vast knowledge base and popularity. In this case, users have to be very careful not to enter and personal details on these fake sites", he explained.
A careful look at the `Subject' line, says Patil, is enough to identify this type of spam.
"However, don't throw caution to the wind when performing online transactions. Beware of prowling predators who are waiting to pounce on casual netizens", he said, adding that users need to update their antivirus signatures on a regular basis.