BOSTON (WHDH) - Have you received a message on Facebook with a video link asking, “Is this you?” The Better Business Bureau is urging the public to ignore the link, delete the message immediately, and update firewall and anti-virus software.
The BBB is warning of a phishing scam involving criminals who say in a message with a link that they are shocked to have seen the targeted Facebook user in a video.
“If you’re a victim, you receive a message from someone you know and trust, one of your friends and family members,” the BBB said in a news release. “The message expresses they were surprised to have seen you in a video and contains a web address that’s supposed to lead you to it. You’re not in the video. Don’t follow the link.”
The cybercriminal might also make contact through email or text message, according to the BBB.
The message reads something like, “Hey (your name), what are you doing in this video lol! Search ur name and skip to 1:53 on video. Type in browser with no spaces -> (then they give you a web address).”
The BBB is urging all Facebook users to think before they click, know videos shared on Facebook play when you click them, and to use common sense.
If you have received the message from a friend, let them know their account has possibly been compromised and just don’t try to access the video, the BBB says. If you ignore it, your account remains secure.
If you’ve already taken the bait, report the scammers to Facebook and let your friends and family know what happened to you. Also, change your login credentials.
Here’s how a typical phishing attack works, according to the BBB:
- You receive a message that looks like it comes from a trustworthy source. It might look like it comes from a co-worker or a family member, or appear to be from your financial institution. You pay attention because you recognize the sender.
- The message urges you to type in a website address or click a link. When you do, you go to a clone of a legitimate website. In this Facebook phishing scam, you might think you’re on a Facebook login page when you’re actually on a page designed to capture what you enter.
- You type in the information it asks for, and that data is stolen. There are multiple versions of many phishing attempts, and some may also prompt you to download something that infects your computer.
- In many situations, your computer or social media account is used to send the phishing attempt back out to everyone on your contact list, this time using your name and image as “bait.”
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