'I am shocked!!!!' Video Scams Going Viral on Facebook
Once again, Facebook is hit with new clever scams that persuade users to click on a video link leading them to online surveys that can potentially steal personal information.
We first noticed one instance of this new scam from one of our technician's Facebook page and then later discovered Graham Cluley from Sophos had already posted a warning on his blog how this new attack has become viral.
Similar Facebook attacks, such as the 'Never gonna drink Coca Cola again' clickjacking scam, have been circulating for months now. The latest scams work in the same fashion by luring Facebook users with an interesting link that reads "I am shocked!!! I'm NEVER texting AGAIN since I found this out. Video here: hxxt://bit.ly/c4SDyh – Worldwide scandal!" as shown in Figure 1 below. Do not visit the link the message provides.
Figure 1. Enigma Software tech's Facebook updates page showing "I am shocked!!!" video link scam.
As persuasive as the status update above may seem, it actually leads computer users through a rogue Facebook application called "Insanely Shocking Video" that asks for permission to access your Facebook profile if you wish to view the video offered. After that, what appears to be a video shows on the screen. If clicked on, the video does not actually play. Instead, a popup alert displays a message stating that the content is protected and that you must complete one of the surveys listed below. Naturally, a computer user will want to access the video by clicking on one of the survey links which then redirects the web browser to a survey page that asks for personal information. It has not been confirmed yet if the information taken in the survey web pages are actually phishing sites but we do not suggest that you attempt to find out.
These Facebook scams are becoming very popular and are able to spread to several Facebook users in a viral fashion. This is mainly because the rogue Facebook app is designed to populate each person's Facebook profile with the same "I am shocked" bogus video link, once they have allowed the app to access their profile. So, basically, it is a never-ending propagation of these Facebook scam links spreading from Facebook friend to Facebook friend.
The video below is a demonstration of this Facebook scam conducted by Graham Cluley at Sophos.
Have you seen the "I am shocked!!!" Facebook status update on any of your friends' profiles yet?
To avoid these scams it is recommended that you never click on suspicious links if you are the least bit unsure of where the link will take you. Also, never give out your personal information unless you are 100% certain that the web page is legitimate.