Thousands of Facebook users are being suckered by a virus masquerading as a slideshow of beach babes, reports security software firm Sophos.
The malware comes from a post on user’s walls that advertises a video of “Distracting Beach Babes,” and includes a picture of a young woman in a bikini. And clicking on the video link takes you to a rogue Facebook application, warns the security firm, which will display a bogus message leading you to download adware to your computer.
Meanwhile, the application has just forwarded the video in your name to all of your Facebook pals.
The virus is probably related to the more widespread “sexiest video ever” scam, which also offers a tantalizing picture before attempting to install malicious software on the user’s computer.
These schemes may seem silly, but they can be very successful, points out Graham Cluey, a senior technology consultant with Sophos. “Many Facebook users are all-too-comfortable with receiving salacious videos and humorous links from their friends, and will click on them without a moment’s thought,” he said. “Unfortunately that can then begin a bombardment of malicious posts to their social networking contacts — do you really want a blitz like this unleashed in your name?”
Noting that the scam began spreading over the weekend, Cluey wonders whether that reflects deliberate timing from the cybercriminals. Do they “deliberately launch these campaigns on the weekends, imagining that anti-virus researchers and Facebook’s own security team might be snoozing?” he wonders.
Cluey advises Facebookers hit with the scam to delete the message from their wall, scan their computer with an up-to-date anti-virus application, change their password. And he hopes they’ve learned a lesson, too.
“Don’t be so quick to click on unsolicited links in the future.”
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