Apple's iTunes music, movie stores arrive in Latin America

Apple has officially flipped the switch on its iTunes Store for music and movie content in 16 Latin American countries. According to a statement posted on the company's website, the store will include local and international music across all major and independent labels, with a catalog of over 20 million songs at launch, plus over 1,000 movies available to rent or purchase -- there's no mention of TV shows in the press release.

Specifically, the iTunes Store is launching in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

Pricing is similar to their U.S. counterpart, with most songs and albums going for $0.99 and $9.99, respectively. One possible caveat is that prices are currently in U.S. dollars and users are required to fund their accounts with international credit cards. MacRumors reports that local currencies for Latin American countries are expected to arrive at some point next year -- possibly within the next six months.

Additionally, Apple is making its iTunes Match service available to Brazilian users for a yearly fee of $24.99. This marks the first time a country outside of the United States gets the cloud music locker service, which allows them to re-download purchases as many times as they like from the iTunes cloud. The company launched iTunes Match in mid-November and said it’s working to roll out the feature around the world.

Great news for Apple users in Latin America. And while it's taken the company nearly eight years to enter the market, at least they're still arriving ahead of music streaming services like Spotify or Rdio -- unless you skip geographic restrictions using a proxy or VPN service, of course.

Black Friday iTunes email scam doing the rounds

Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping period for many. Among the endless offers available to consumers is lurking the latest email scam in the form of a would-be offer from Apple.

The email titled "iTunes Gift Certificate" purportedly claims that you've won a free voucher valued at $50 for iTunes, but in order to claim it you need to open an attached zip file, releasing the malware on your computer in the process. Reports by the BBC suggest passwords will be at risk, it will affect the performance of your computer, and may wipe files from your drives.

The malware has been confirmed as Mal/BredoZp-B, first spotted by the German security group Eleven-Security. According to Sophos, a net security firm, the email suggests that once you have verified your account it will be credited with the $50 voucher. Consumers should be wary of any offer they receive through suspect emails that require you to act on them beyond visiting their respective websites.

Apple does have some genuine offers on, though. Their one-day Apple shopping event offers a small discount on nearly all of their music and computer products.

iPad 2s are available with a $41 saving, as well as a $101 discount on MacBook Air, Macbook Pro and iMac products. You can save yourself $21 on a iPod touch, but iPhone and Mac Pro products appear to have been excluded from the one-day special offer. Those hunting for a replacement Magic Mouse or most other Mac accessories can also take advantage of smaller discounts.

The Christmas period always marks an increase in phishing attacks and scams such as this iTunes fraud, as cybercriminals try to take advantage by preying on the shopping frenzy it creates. It certainly sounds appealing to cash-strapped shoppers when offered that sort of free money for music, videos or games.

The USA Today has published a handy guide with tips and advice to better protect yourself during the festive season, which can help people avoid any unpleasant surprises in the run up to Christmas.