SECURITY researchers have uncovered a large-scale Facebook messaging scam they think has targeted around 500,000 people.
The large-scale phishing campaign is a variation of a classic “Is that you?” trick.
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It involves a victim receiving a message from who they think is a friend and the supposed friend sending them a video or image and asking if they’re in it.
The reality is that a hacker is posing as a friend and has sent you a malicious file.
If you were to click the video link you’ll be taken through a chain of websites that could infect your computer with malicious software.
Researchers at CyberNews have been investigating the scam.
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They think a hacker could use it to determine a person’s location, the device they’re using and even the operating system on the device.
This could lead to more targeted attacks.
The malicious links first sent in the message also take victims to a Facebook phishing page were they’ll be asked for personal data.
Their device may even be infected with adware or malware.
CyberNews thinks the scam it spotted started in January 2020 and has mainly targeted people in Germany.
It’s thought 480,00 users have fallen victim to the phishing campaign.
CyberNews has published a full report on the scam.
It highlights why you should never open links in a suspicious message or give away private details to unofficial sources.
What is phishing?
Here’s what you need to know…
- Phishing is a type of online fraud
- It’s typically an attempt to nab some of your data
- Phishing generally involves scammers posing as a trustworthy entity
- For instance, fraudsters could send you an email claiming to be your bank, asking for details
- Scammers can also set up fake websites that look like real ones, simply to hoodwink you
- Phishing can take place over email, social media, texts, phone calls and more
- The best defence against phishing is to be generally sceptical of weblinks and emails, especially if they were unsolicited
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Have you spotted any online scams recently? Let us know in the comments…
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
