A fake app making the rounds on Facebook promises to let you change the color of your profile, but it might just make you see red.
The so-called Facebook Color Scam was first reported by Cheetah Mobile. If you click on the app, it takes you to a site where you’re asked to watch a tutorial video that promises to explain how to change the color on your profile.
Watching the video will reportedly give hackers immediate access to your profile. But if you decline to watch the video, you’ll be directed to a pornography video player on a desktop or laptop, or to an antivirus app on mobile. Both, as you might imagine, contain malware.
If you have accidentally watched the video, you need to immediately change your password and remove the app, which can be done from the Facebook app settings page.
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Watch out for the Robin Williams last video scam
As you go around on social media, you may see a video popping up claiming to be the last video made by Robin Williams before his tragic suicide. Sadly, crooks have found a way to exploit the terrible loss.
The video — which is titled ‘Robin Williams Says Goodbye With His Phone Video Before Suicide’ — prompts you to share the video and complete an online survey before you can watch the clip. However, there is no video to watch, according to WeLiveSecurity.com.
The trick here is crooks get you to complete the survey, thereby scoring them some affiliate cash, and hopefully you’ll share it with friends who will do the same.
A separate report I saw suggested there’s a variant where you’re prompted to download the latest version of a video player, but you’re really downloading malware. It’s being called “clickjacking.”
I don’t tell you this to make you paranoid about surfing around. But you do have to be careful!
Unpaid toll phishing scam
Finally, there’s a third scam I need to tell you about. Have you ever seen a notice saying you’re in trouble with a toll authority for not paying?
Several toll authorities are reporting there’s an email making the rounds with the subject line, “In arrears for driving on toll road.” If you click on the link in the email, you’re taken to an invoice for a supposed toll you did not pay.
You know how this one plays out: It’s a virus and the crooks are trying to get your financial info and mess with you.
I know it’s hard to know who to trust online. Be careful out there!
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