Facebook virus steals bank passwords, other private information

[CatWoman]

quite a few DUers also do Facebook

Facebook users, there's a new virus out there, according to multiple media reports.

Anti-virus company McAfee Inc. on Wednesday warned the popular social media outfit's 400 million users that a new type of virus is trying to steal, among other things, their bank passwords, media reports say.

Facebook also sent out its own warning about a bogus e-mail -- one that is titled "Facebook Password Reset Confirmation! Customer Support" -- and tells its users to delete it.

According to media reports, the e-mails that Facebook users are receiving tells them that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset. It then asks them to click on an attachment to get new login credentials.

McAfee said Wednesday that clicking on that attachment will trigger the downloading of several types of malicious software, media reports say.

One of the types of software -- or malware -- steals passwords, reports say.

http://www.ajc.com/news/facebook-virus-steals-bank-381468.html?cxtype=rss_news_128746

[Cassandra]

1. Earthlink stripped out the attachments...

and alerted me.

[MineralMan]

2. Anyone stupid enough to click on such an attachment

is too stupid to have a bank account. Seriously.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. The First rule of Facebook:

When presented with the question "Application XXX wants YYY. Allow or Deny?" the answer is always DENY.

Edit: not actually related specifically to what the OP mentions, but the statement stands.

[Toasterlad]

26. I Thought It Was "Don't Talk About Facebook"?

[arcane1]

4. "Facebook also sent out its own warning about a bogus e-mail"

I have yet to receive this warning... luckily I'd never follow the email's instructions anyway :)

[2Design]

14. that line is a lie - that is what the email said that was a virsus

[BlueIris]

5. Only one of many reasons I will never FB.

[derby378]

6. The answer? Don't store your bank information on Facebook

Unless a particular network or site is as impregnable as Area 51, hackers can probably find a way to infiltrate it and make people's lives miserable.

[NeedleCast]

9. As far as I know, you can't

Which is why the article seems odd to me. There's no reason or area to store any bank information on Facebook. Totally different animals.

[Posteritatis]

13. Easy enough to get a virus via one app or another

Once that infects your computer, its contents are fair game. You don't have to store important information on the site, you just have to allow one application too many.

[ginnyinWI]

24. but it would seem that the virus can then access your computer

and who doesn't have online access to one or another of their bank accounts and credit card payments?

[JerseygirlCT]

30. Oooo! Ooooo! Me! Me! nt

[L. Coyote]

34. "who doesn't have online access to one or another of their bank accounts"

Well, to begin with, all the people with substantial assests AND an understanding of computer security.

[L. Coyote]

33. Hilarious, and close. Don't bank on your computer, bank on the bank's computer.

If you want to make sure you do not lose your bank info via your computer, NEVER use your computer to bank.

[NeedleCast]

7. Article seems strange...

Is the virus being spread via Facebook? As far as I know, Facebook doensn't even have an area where you could store banking data. Seems oddly phrased.

[Lisa0825]

12. I htink it is being spread by FB, but if it gets installed on your computer...

it accesses passwords saved on your computer or maybe accesses them as you use them even if they are ot stored?

They talked about it on the local news this morning.

[LakeSamish706]

17. Following is the text portion of the email;

Dear user of facebook,

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
Your Facebook

This has an attachment with a zip file that contains a .exe file that has the virus.

I don't believe that it is originating at fb.

[hobbit709]

20. The giveaway "Dear user of facebook"

is the same as any other phishing deal. Any legit email from any legit organization, be it bank, credit card, facebook or otherwise, knows your real name and will address you with it.

[LakeSamish706]

21. Your right and I hope that no one on DU falls for this email... n/t

[whistler162]

23. It is just the latest variation on the bank account

AOL Paypal password reset scam/phishing email.

Rule 1 : Never click a link telling you to reset your password UNLESS you requested such a reset.

Rule 2 : See rule 1

[Robeson]

8. Thanks.

[louis-t]

10. I've gotten 2 viruses from FB.

And I still show the stupid ad at the top that says "re-confirm your email" even though I already did, and I'm not getting the email alerts from them. Which is OK.

[2Design]

11. yes I have gotten this email to several accounts and some that had

no facebook id attached - I suspected it was spam and deleted it

[DavidDvorkin]

15. So it's not a FaceBook problem

It's phishing.

[2Design]

16. no it is not - it goes to all your email accounts n/t

[bettyellen]

32. well i just got one as a Facebook message using a friend name, so it;s BOTH

[RedCappedBandit]

19. Yep. Very misleading thread title.

[LakeSamish706]

18. Following is the text portion of the email;

Dear user of facebook,

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed.
You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,
Your Facebook

This has an attachment with a zip file that contains a .exe file that has the virus.

I don't believe that it is originating at fb.


"Do not open it if you get this email".

[joycean]

22. Don't you understand? This is irrelevant to young Liberals...

Because according to Bill O'Reilly and other Fox news folks, we're all just a bunch of broke pot smokers, with no jobs, no credit cards, and no bank accounts! We are also too stupid to go to the library where "books are free" (thanks for the tip Glenn) or actually go out and vote on election day. Our opinions don't matter, because we don't have any money.

Wait, I'm just getting a message from Lynn Cheney and CPAC: This Facebook virus is in fact a left-wing conspiracy. Knowing the virus would be innocuous to liberal users, it was planted to take money away from hard working, real Americans just trying to get Sean Hannity's status updates.

Whew. I'm just glad they're looking out for us. Someone should be.

[Bluestar]

25. Been getting these for months in my regular email

And they're just NOW telling us about it? Good job, McAfee and FB.

[Skip Intro]

27. K&R for anyone who might have missed this.

I got two of these emails. Yahoo put them in the spam folder, but I wouldn't have opened them anyway. Just read about the scam today.

-------------

The emails tell recipients that the passwords on their Facebook accounts have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials, according to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc.

If the attachment is opened, it downloads several types of malicious software, including a program that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.

Hackers have long targeted Facebook users, sending them tainted messages via the social networking company's own internal email system. With this new attack, they are using regular Internet email to spread their malicious software.

A Facebook spokesman said the company could not comment on the specific case, but pointed to a status update the company posted on its web site earlier on Wednesday warning users about the spoofed email and advising users to delete the email and to warn their friends.

McAfee estimates that hackers sent out tens of millions of spam across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.

Dave Marcus, McAfee's director of malware research and communications, said that he expects the hackers will succeed in infecting millions of computers.

"With Facebook as your lure, you potentially have 400 million people that can click on the attachment. If you get 10 percent success, that's 40 million," he said.

The email's subject line says "Facebook password reset confirmation customer support," according to Marcus.

[L. Coyote]

28. It is NOT a Facebook virus. It is an e-mail phish targeting Facebook uers.

[CatWoman]

29. I was using the headline provided with the story

:shrug:

[bettyellen]

31. i got one from a friend- phony message that said Wow and had an attahment that opened itself!!

it said it found virs and I shld download softwear, then asked me to change my pword. I just closed everything. bt i contacted my friend and asked him. he has never sent me a message at all. im just glad i have a Mac, yikes!!

[rcrush]

35. People should learn to read their email headers.

I had to clean up a friends computer because he likes to click on shit that comes in his email.

[rcrush]

36. Also Letting STRANGERS friend you on any social networking site is stupid.

WTF do you want to friend strangers for? They will only send you spam and other bullshit.