What’s going on with malware lately? It seems like every day brings another malware attack. This time, that attack is targeting Facebook users. The new Facebook malware tricks users into downloading a photo and then attacks a user’s system. If you are new to Facebook, this malicious trick may just entice you. If you’ve been a Facebook user for a while now, you might not fall prey to the download scam. But, it never hurts to be too safe. So, here’s how the Facebook malware bug works.
Tagged: You’re It!
The new Facebook malware threat sends a note to Facebook users stating that they’ve been tagged in a photo. Inside of the notification email is a message asking recipients to download an attached zipped file. Once this file has been downloaded, the malware will go to work attacking Windows systems. How can you tell a legitimate Facebook photo tag from one that’s not legit? Simple.
When Facebook sends you a tagged notification, you will receive an email that states “___ has tagged you in a photo.” The new malware email doesn’t actually list the name of any contacts. This email just says that you’ve been tagged in a photo. The difference, then, is that one includes the name of a friend and one doesn’t. Otherwise, the rest of the email will look like it legitimately came from Facebook (logo and all).
It’s also worth pointing out that Facebook doesn’t send photo attachments. In fact, you’ll never get an attachment from the social network. If a photo arrives with an attachment, don’t click on that zipped file. There’s no photo waiting for you, just a malicious bug that will wreck your system.
Not the First Time
Hackers like to use Facebook logins to target unsuspecting people. All too often, new Facebook users trust the social network completely. If you’re new to Facebook, make sure to double-check every email that comes in from the social network. Most of the time, those pesky emails are from friends and family members. But, sometimes you may receive an email from a hacker – one that will really mess up your system.
Do note that the new Facebook malware doesn’t attack Macs for now. This is a Windows-specific problem, but, even so, you shouldn’t download any photos attachments that come from Facebook (or pseudo-Facebook) even if you have a Mac. Sooner rather than later, hackers will figure out how to target Mac users too, and you should never get into the habit of opening up every attachment that comes your way. The best thing to do with such an attachment is to delete it, report it to Facebook, and make sure to tell all of your friends about this problem.
Malware can be avoided if word is spread about attacks like this one. The faster that word spreads, the more effective a line of defense will be. It’s really when nobody knows about an impending attack that many fall prey to such scams. Know any Facebook users? Make sure to share this article!