The Better Business Bureau is cautioning consumers about a new scam designed to capture the attention of those following the developing Malaysian Airlines flight 370 story.
The BBB reports the scam is turning up on social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter, and requires the user to click on a link to get the latest on the missing plane.
Cesar Alvarado in San Antonio, the regional public relations director for the BBB, said the process is known as “clickjacking” – using compelling information to get a user to click on something they otherwise might ignore.
“Consumers have been reporting this issue where videos claiming that the Malaysian Airlines airplane has been found in the Bermuda Triangle and all the people have been found unharmed,” Alvarado said. “They ask you to click on a link, and once you click on that link, more than likely they’re going to ask you to download a new version of the player. And that allows them to install malware into your computer.”
The Better Business Bureau said another version of the scam asks users to take a survey before viewing the video. Filling in that personal information could open the user to identity theft.
The BBB said consumers can stop the malware before it gets into their computers by simply ignoring the post. Alvarado suggests that any such video from a friend could mean the friend’s Facebook has been hacked.
