Scam Alert: Facebook Messenger Video Hack

A Facebook Messenger scam has been circulating for a few years now, but it seems to once again be on the rise.

You may have received a message via Facebook messenger that appeared to come from a friend. The text generally reads something like, “It’s you” or “its your video.” If you click the link, you are redirected to a Facebook group where you will find another link to the video.

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This is a common malware scam. If you click the link from the Facebook group’s site, you will be asked to download an update for your video player. If you do so, malware will be installed on your computer, which could allow hackers to steal log-in credentials for your various accounts, including bank and credit card accounts. Once they have this information, they can easily login to your bank account, for example, and initiate illegal transfers.

In some cases, the link could also direct users to a phishing attempt. After one clicks the link, they will be directed to a fake Facebook page where they will be asked to enter their login credentials. The information will be stolen and transferred to the hacker.

To send these messages, the cybercriminals are hacking individual’s Facebook accounts because they know if a user sees a message from a friend, they will be more apt to open the link.

If you have been the victim of either of these scams, immediately change your account passwords and run an anti-virus program on your system.

Since there are variations on these scams, you may be wondering how to detect a fraudulent message. The answer is to be vigilant–even when receiving links from people who appear to be friends. The scams can be relatively easy to spot. For example, does the text sound like something your friend would say? Is it grammatically correct? Additionally, closely examine the URL of any site to which you are redirected to make sure it is something you recognize.