Redirect flaw on .gov sites leaves open door for phishers

At least 20,000 users have fallen victim to a spam campaign that uses shortened links to legitimate government sites to carry out a hoax.

In the scams, users receive emails containing “1.usa.gov” short links and are redirected twice upon clicking — first, immediately past a legitimate government site, then, to websites that look like CNBC news articles touting “$4,000 a month” home-based business opportunities.