WARNING! New Facebook virus being sent via Messenger

Copyright: gilc / 123RF Stock Photo

(First published on Goodthingsguy.com)

Everything you need to know about a new Facebook virus that has started doing the rounds in South Africa…

Another Facebook virus has been released, unlike any other and it has just reached South African shores. This malware has a botnet-like capability and can post your profile picture along with a URL and a video on your Facebook timeline making it look like your friend has made a video of you.

Users of the social media site are receiving a seemingly innocent message from people on their friends list with a video link attached, which claims to be about the receiver.

But when opened, the video redirects to afalse YouTube page where the user is prompted to download a file to view the video.

However, there is no video.

This malware can post your profile picture along with a URL and a video in a message making it look like your friend has spotted a video of you.

“Instead those who do follow the instructions and complete the request unwittingly download a virus which in turn spams the user’s friends list with the same link.”

This type of Facebook Trojan operates on the botnet principle. Its primary purpose is to steal your information including:

• IP and other System Info
• Facebook account information
• Browsing history
• E-mail accounts and other passwords

There have been reports that some users have been unable to log out of their accounts after mistakenly downloading the virus.

But there are steps you can take to avoid being compromised

• If you receive one of these messages, DO NOT OPEN it and inform the friend who “sent” the video that their account has been hacked.
• If you do find that your Facebook profile has been compromised by the scam, you need to secure your account as soon as possible.
• Be sure to change your password and run an activity check to spot any suspicious activity on your page.
• You can also remove any downloaded malware by going into Facebook Settings & Apps, Websites and Plugins & Select Disable to protect your account from unauthorized access of third party apps.
• It is also recommended to run any anti-virus or malware programs to rid your device of any bugs that may have been downloaded to your system as a result of the download.