This is to bring to your notice that there is a new malware in town and it is called Facebook Messenger Malware.
As you know on ABB, our job is to share with you any information that we know would be of important use to you.
The malware makes use of Facebook Messenger to spread from one user to the other. From some of the information we have gathered, the effect of this Malware on your devices is said to be very dangerous and the way it reacts on various devices and internet browsers differs.
Here is how this new Facebook messenger malware works
The first thing that would happen is that, you will get a new message alert on your Facebook messenger
The message would be sent from one of your friends on your Facebook profile
This message would contain your name, the keyword ’’video’’, a shocked emoji and a shortened LINK
Because this message was sent by a friend on your Facebook profile, normally you will want to check the message and probably click on the link contained in the message. Once you do this, the link would take you to a Google Doc. This Google doc will then display a Playable video which would have a background Image that is blurry. The background image would be extracted from one of the pictures you’ve uploaded on your Facebook account.
When you click on this video, you will then be redirected to a website and this depends on how you configure your device, for example, the internet browser that you are using, where you are i.e your location and the operating system you are using.
Once you land on this page, you will be deceived into installing this malicious software. The type of malicious software you will be tricked into installing varies, it may be an adware or other harmful files, it could even be a malicious browser extension
So, what is going on here?
In the event that you get this dangerous message from any of your Facebook friends, it’s possible that their account have been hacked by these criminals. Should this happen, the perpetrator could make use of your own account to commit more evil by spreading this malware from one user to the other because this malware works like a chain reaction.
And when people start clicking on this link, that is more money for the hacker. The more people click on this link, the more money they make. The hackers make their money from the massive clicks that is being generated from the link in the Facebook messenger text
When this happens, here is what you must do?
As soon as you get a message that is looks similar to this from a friend on Facebook or even from someone you don’t know. Try not to click on this link yet, put a call across to this Facebook profile and inquire from them to know if they are the one that sent this message.
If their answer is no, that means someone has gained access to their Facebook account without their notice. Simply advise them to login to their account and do a password reset. There are other security steps they can also take. Tell them to check the security menu on their Facebook account to take other necessary precautive measures.
Also, ensure that you have an antivirus that is uptodate installed on your computer. You can make use of this recommended antivirus so as to prevent your computer/device from landing on these fake websites. This antivirus will also refrain your computer from installing this malicious software and subsequently stop it from spreading this attack.
If you found this post helpful, kindly share it with your friends and peers to warn them against the Facebook Messenger Malware.
