Beware this LinkedIn scam trying to get Dropbox logins … Quiksilver considers Billabong … Australia’s huge Christmas party bills revealed

The chief executive of cyber security firm MailGuard has issued a warning to LinkedIn users after noticing a scam hit his own account this week.

Describing the scam in this post, Craig McDonald says it takes the form of a private LinkedIn message purporting to be a genuine connection on the platform. The message directs those who open it to a Dropbox download link, which prompts users to fill in their credentials on a fake Dropbox site.

“If I had clicked on the link and logged into the fake Dropbox page – as many people naturally would – my password would have been stolen by the criminals running this scam,” McDonald explained yesterday.

Business owners are warned that the scam appears to be spread through the hacking of genuine LinkedIn accounts.

“If you’ve received a message like this recently, please let the person whose account sent it to you know, so they can take steps to eliminate the malware on their system,” McDonald advises.

Billabong receives offer from Quiksilver

ASX-listed surfwear company Billabong International has told shareholders this morning that the US company behind Quiksilver, Boardriders, has put up an offer to buy the Billabong business.

Billabong confirmed it has received a “confidential, indicative and non-binding” proposal to buy all shares in the company at $1.00 each. Shares are currently trading at 78 cents.

The company says it has granted Boardriders the opportunity to complete due diligence on the deal, which if completed could eventually mean the two surf brands come together under one entity.

That process is likely to take “a number of weeks”, Billabong said in a statement.

Four percent of employers will spend $100,000 on a Christmas party

Research from ticketing platform Eventbrite suggests that even though the end-of-year crunch is on, business owners aren’t scared to splash some cash for a festive get-together.

A survey of more than 1,000 employees and employers from across Australia has revealed one-in-six Aussie businesses will spend between $10,000 and $100,000 on Christmas parties this month.

Four out of one hundred businesses were planning for the bill to hit $100,000 this year.

Whatever the cost, a majority of businesses view the end-of-year function as a chance to boost morale across a team of staff and their families. 47% of businesses will invite staff member’s partners to an event, while 85% of those surveyed say they invest in a Christmas party to promote staff wellbeing.

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