As is usually the case around holidays, security experts are warning users to be on the lookout for unsolicited e-mail messages in the days leading up to Halloween, reports V3.co.uk.

Sunbelt Software expects a number of common scams and malware attacks, such as online greetings cards or links to holiday sites, to menace users on or before October 31. Also, be on the lookout for fake retail advertisements.

Muktadir Khan, Sunbelt Software European sales engineer, says users should make sure that their antivirus applications are fully up-to-date and avoid opening any attachments, even from trusted sources, without first running a scan on the file.