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Type:Facebook Hoax | Keywords: Facebook and Malicious Youtube Links 2 | Other Keywords:
| Notes:
PAY ATTENTION!! Someone has
hacked
into fb and gotten A LOT of fb users friend lists. If you
receive a youtube link in your INBOX!!! DO NOT OPEN IT!!!! These are ALL
viruses!!! BE CAREFUL and repost this
to your status so others will
find out also.
ATTENTION
ALL: IF YOU GET A REQUEST FROM ME OR ANY FRIEND TO CHECKOUT
\\\'YOUTUBE\\\' AND IT LOOKS LIKE FACEBOOK DO NOT OPEN IT. IT IS A TROJAN WORM AND WILL INFECT AND SHUTDOWN YOUR COMPUTER AND TAKE ALL YOUR PERSONAL INFO. ITIS
TRAVELING AROUND FACEBOOK RAPIDLY. YOUR FRIENDS DID NOT SEND IT!
GOT THIS EMAIL IN MY INBOX SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL ON FACEBOOK THERE IS A VIRUS SPEADING LIKE
WILDFIRE ON FB. DO NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM ME OR ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS THAT ASK YOU TO WATCH A VIDEO ON YOU TUBE. JUST CONFIRMED. IT IS A TROJAN WORM VIRUS. IT WILL STEAL INFO,
INFEST YOUR SYSTEM AND SHUT IT DOWN. DO NOT OPEN THE LINK. I AM NOT SENDING THIS POST! PLEASE REPOST
These messages seems to have been
inspired by an earlier warning about malicious Youtube links circulating around Facebook.
Whilst these warnings do
contain valid information about threats facing Facebook, they are still more deceptive than they are helpful.
The threat the messages describe is where
compromised Facebook accounts start sending out malicious links to the accounts friends list in order to try and entice the friends list to click those links. There has been
instances where the links purported to send the victim to YouTube, but instead directed them to malicious external sites. For this reason it is always good practise to verify
links with the sender before clicking on them, especially if the URL is disguised by a URL shortener (like TinyURL or Bit.Ly)
This attack is a type of phishing attack because the links appear to be from someone the victim trusts, but are actually from scammers.
However the messages are
exaggerated and seem to be written in an alarmist way to try and get people to spread it. Unlike the messages claim, Facebook has not been hacked, and these threats are not
travelling rapidly through Facebook or `spreading like wildfire`. Also the assertion the virus will `shut down your computer and take all your personal info` is a simplified
alarmist statement that is more misleading than it is helpful, much like these status update messages.
| Article No:751
Date Added:03/10/10 |
Dangerous?:no
How Convincing?:Blatant Lie |
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