Facebook Hoax: Facebook will end on March 15th 2012

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: February 13, 2012
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 364 words

SophosLabs: Have you seen the news? Maybe your friends have shared it with you. Apparently, Facebook is going to shut down on March 15th, 2012. Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly found running the site just too stressful. Here’s the link that many Facebook users have been sharing with each other. Some worried Facebook users have even been sharing this photograph of a news report about the claimed closure of the world’s most popular social network: ...

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US attacks Iran and Saudi Arabia? Malware spreads via Facebook status updates

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: February 3, 2012
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 272 words

SophosLabs: Beware of malware lurking on news websites claiming to containing breaking news stories. I’ve seen a worrying number of Facebook users posting the same status messages today, claiming that the United States has attacked Iran and Saudi Arabia in a move heralding the beginning of World War 3. Well, that would certainly get your attention, wouldn’t it? A typical status message looks like the following: U.S. Attacks Iran and Saudia Arabia. F**k 🙁 [LINK] The Begin of World War 3? ...

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Yet another Facebook Hoax: ‘New Way Gangs Steal, Rape and Kidnap Girls'

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: February 2, 2012
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 332 words

SophosLabs: Facebook users are innocently sharing advice with their online friends about how women can avoid being kidnapped and raped, not realizing that they are perpetuating a hoax. Here’s a typical message that is being shared, which comes attached to an image of a young woman gagged and tied up in the trunk of a car. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY This message is for every Girl Who Goes to college or office alone.If u find any child carrying on road showing his/her address n asking u to take him/her to that address,take that child to police station n plz don’t take it to that address . IT IS A NEW WAY GANGS TO STEAL,RAPE and KIDNAP GIRLS .plz circulate to all .don’t feel shy to copy This as ur status . OUR ONE MESSAGE MAY SAVE A GIRL ...

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Hoax: The Pink Profile Pic Facebook virus hoax

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: October 25, 2011
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 333 words

SophosLabs: Have you noticed the profile pics of some of your Facebook friends have acquired a pink tinge? Rumours have hit the social networking site that the Facebook app that turns your profile picture pink carries “keylogger malware” that can spy on your keypresses, and steal your passwords – not just from Facebook, but from online banks you may log into as well. One warning reads as follows: ...

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Hoax: Facebook Gold membership for $9.99

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: September 25, 2011
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 286 words

SophosLabs: A hoax claiming that Facebook is planning to start charging users continues to spread across the social network, and has now been adapted by mischief-makers into a claim that the service will be free if users forward a message before midnight. Duped users are sharing the message with their online friends, believing it will help them avoid charges of between $3.99 and $9.99 per month. ...

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Christmas Tree app virus hoax spreads on Facebook

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: November 24, 2010
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 361 words

Thousands of Facebook users are warning each other about a Christmas Tree virus said to be spreading in the form of a rogue application on the social network. The only problem with this warning? It’s utterly bogus. Here’s a typical message being shared widely on Facebook: WARNING!!!!!!
..DO NOT USE THE Christmas tree app. on Facebookplease be advised it will crash your computer. Geek squad says its oneof the WORST trojan-viruses there is and it is spreading quickly.Re-post and let your friends know. THANKS PLEASE REPOST! ...

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A Virus Is Coming! Tell All Your Friends!

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: May 4, 2010
  • Reading Time: 5 min
  • Word Count: 903 words

Email hoaxes are nothing new, dating back at least as far as 1994 with what is widely believed to have been the first email hoax—referred to as the “Goodtimes virus” or the “Goodtimes virus hoax” after the subject of the email. The message in the early version was short and to the point, advising recipients not to open email messages with the subject “Good Times” because doing so would ruin their files. This, of course, was not true, but in cases where the recipient complied with the warning, it obviously had the effect of ruining their chances of actually reading any legitimate email messages with that very subject. ...

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BlackBerry Messenger the new vehicle to distribute Hoaxes?

  • Post author: Omid Farhang
  • Post published: January 13, 2010
  • Reading Time: 2 min
  • Word Count: 301 words

I received an interesting IM from a friend via BlackBerry Messenger [BBM] this weekend. She was worried that it could do damage to her shiny new BlackBerry and, as she knew I work for [a security company], she forwarded it to me for my opinion. As soon as I read it, I knew it was a hoax and told her just to delete it. It didn’t really surprise me that these Hoaxes are now being spread via BBM as the devices are becoming increasingly popular. I’m sure all of you have received the usual one via E-mail about a Virus which burns the whole hard disc C of your computer , well now I believe you will be seeing them on your BlackBerry. ...

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