If you use Facebook, watch out for suspicious posts tagged with dozens of names. This new scam is called “malicious tagging,” and it’s tricking victims into downloading malware.
How the Scam Works:
You get a Facebook notification that a friend tagged you in a post. It appears to be a link to an “adult” video, and a dozen other friends are also tagged. Your friend would never knowingly post spam, so you figure the link must be safe. But when you click it, a pop up window appears. It says that you need to download a Flash player update before you can watch the video.
Don’t do it! The file you are prompted to download isn’t really an update; it’s malware. In addition to opening you up to ID theft by scanning for personal and banking information, the malware also perpetuates the scam. It takes over your Facebook account, creates another fake video post and automatically tags a bunch of your friends.
Protect Yourself From Social Media Scams:
Take the following steps to protect yourself and others from scam links shared through Facebook, Twitter and other social media:
Don’t take the bait. Stay away from promotions of “exclusive,” “shocking” or “sensational” footage. If it sounds too outlandish to be true, it is probably a scam.
Be careful of shortened links. Scammers use link-shortening services to disguise malicious links. Don’t fall for it. If you don’t recognize the link destination, don’t click.
Don’t trust your friends’ taste online. It might not actually be them “liking” or sharing scam links to photos. Their account may have been hacked or compromised by malware.
On Facebook, report scam posts and other suspicious activity by following these instructions.
On Twitter, if another user is sending you links to malware or other spam, report it to Twitter by following these instructions.
Source: BBB
