Apple iPhone users are the latest target of hackers, according to the latest alerts from the security firm Sophos.

The company says cybercriminals are sending spam emails with subject lines such as ‘Virtual iPhone games!’, ‘Apple: The most popular game!’ and ‘Virtual iPhone toys!’ in an effort to encourage iPhone owners to download a damaging virus file.

The emails are sent with an attachment called Penguin.Panic.zip, which poses as a version of the platform game for the iPhone. But Sophos’ technology consultant Graham Cluley said the file actually contains a Trojan Horse virus which infects Windows PCs.

“Games, of course, are hugely popular with people young and old these days – and there is a real buzz about games on the new Apple iPhone, especially because of the new App Store and the device’s use of an accelerometer to introduce some Nintendo-like innovative gameplay,” said Cluley in a blog posting.

As with any computer, opening unsolicited attachments is never a good idea, and that applies to this case as well.