Other LanguagesMalware purporting to contain information on Osama bin Laden is all over the Internet. This malicious software can embed itself in computers and spread to users' contact lists, infecting the systems of associates, friends and family members, the FBI warned today.
Technology websites describe several examples:
- A link allegedly pointing to a video of the Al-Qaeda leader's death is spreading across Facebook. The user is told that two steps need to be followed before they can view the video to prevent it from being illegally distributed around the world. By clicking on the link, a Facebook page asks the user to click on the "Like" button and share the link with their Facebook friends. In reality, this simply spreads the link, with no video being displayed but instead a user poll which pays the cybercrooks a commission each time someone completes it.
- A similar video scam on Facebook asks the user to complete a series of keyboard combinations that trick you into passing a snippet of JavaScript code into your browser's address bar, with this spreading the message even further.
- A message pretending to include attachments of photos showing bin Laden's body is also spreading via e-mail. In reality, the attachments include a Trojan horse that monitors your online banking attempts and steals passwords.
[Trojan code image credit: PCworld.com.]
Submitted by Holly Martinez on