Social Media on Omid Farhang

Free Stuff on Social Networks Not Free

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Symantec Connect: In recent years, scammers have flocked towards social networking sites as they have grown and made it easier to access a large number of potential eyeballs to convert into dollars. Brands have found value in leveraging social media to know what their customers are talking about, so, naturally, scammers are doing the exact same thing.

Free iPads and iPhones

Every time Apple unveils a new iPad or iPhone, you can bet there are scammers out there trying to leverage the announcement for financial gain. In the days leading up to and after the announcement of the new third-generation iPad, Twitter users who tweet about the new tablet most likely will receive some targeted Twitter replies from scammers offering the new device for free:

Phishers Dislike Facebook Timeline

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Symantec Connect: Phishers regularly introduce new types of fake applications with the motive of improving their chance to harvest user credentials. In February 2012, Symantec observed a phishing site recommending a fake application that allegedly removes “Timeline” profile for Facebook users. The phishing site was hosted on a free web hosting site.

The phishing site embedded the Facebook Timeline promotion video from YouTube, with the claim “Remove Timeline Now”. According to this phishing site, users will have their “Timeline” removed from their Facebook profile and get back their old profile page—only after they enter their login credentials. To make the fake application look more authentic, phishers added that it was protected by an antivirus product with the logo of the antivirus brand placed below the login form. After user credentials are entered, the phishing page redirects to a page which displays a screenshot from the Facebook Timeline promotion video. If users fell victim to the phishing site by entering their login credentials, phishers would have successfully stolen their information for identity theft purposes.

Facebook Scam: OMG – I just hate RIHANNA after watching this video

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:27:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Messages are spreading between Facebook users, claiming that members of the social network have lost all respect for popular songstress Rihanna after watching a video.

However, if you’re careless enough to click on the link you will find yourself lured into a survey scam that attempts to earn affiliate cash for fraudsters.

A typical message trying to tempt users into falling for the scam looks like this:

Free iPad 3? It doesn't exist! Beware of scams

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:41:00 +0000

It is widely anticipated that Apple will announce a new version of its iPad tablet computer in San Francisco on March 7th.

An invitation sent to journalists, inviting them to an event organized by Apple, has fueled speculation even further as it appears to show a close-up of someone using an iPad.

Could it be the new iPad with a much lusted for improved display and souped-up processor? Only time will tell..

Over 90% of Facebook users hate having photos of them posted without approval

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:36:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Facebook users overwhelmingly agree that it’s rude to post photos or videos of them without asking permission first. Some even think it should be illegal.

Sophos has polled over 800 Facebook users, asking whether people should seek permission before posting photographs or videos online of others.

Although a large majority – 83% – of polled Facebook users think it’s just common courtesy to ask permission before posting a photo or video of someone else (and a further 8% felt it should be illegal not to have received approval), some respondents believed that Facebook’s existing tagging controls allowed you to remove a picture that you didn’t want published online.

Twitter enables HTTPS for all signed-in users

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:02:00 +0000

The H-Online: Twitter has announced that it has now enabled HTTPS by default for all users signed into the micro-blogging service. By using HTTPS, all user information including log-in credentials transmitted to the company’s servers are sent using SSL encryption. This means that all data is transmitted in encrypted form and can no longer be read and exploited for fraudulent activities by attackers using tools such as the Firesheep extension for Firefox.

Facebook Hoax: Facebook will end on March 15th 2012

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

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:

LinkedIn Hits 150 Million Members

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:43:00 +0000

Mashable: LinkedIn on Thursday announced it has 150 million members in its network, a 20 million increase over November.

The figure was disclosed in a press release the company issued Thursday announcing its fourth quarter and full-year 2011 results.

The company posted revenues of $167.7 million, beating the analysts’ consensus of $160 million for Q4. Adjusted profit was $0.12 cents per share, which beat analysts’ projections of 7 cents a share. LinkedIn’s stock was up more than 5% in after-hours trading.

Facebook IPO comes with a health warning

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:40:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Facebook’s IPO is the most hyped initial public offering in years, with much speculation about just how many billions of dollars the social networking phenomenon will be valued at.

There’s no doubt that 27-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is going to become a very rich man – and will be able to buy an even larger wardrobe of hoodies.

So, congratulations to Zuck and his management team. Although we have often had our concerns about Facebook when it comes to their stand on privacy and security, there’s no doubt that they’ve done something extraordinary in commercial terms.

Pink Facebook? Red or black Facebook?

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:33:00 +0000

Pink Facebook? Red or black Facebook?

No, it’s a scam you want to avoid. Share the knowledge with your friends!

Credit to Norman Security for sharing 🙂

Hoax: The Pink Profile Pic Facebook virus hoax

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:57:00 +0000

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:

Hoax: Facebook Gold membership for $9.99

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:06:00 +0000

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.

Pink claims her Facebook page was ‘hacked'

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:31:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Pop singer Pink has posted an angry message to hackers, who she claims stole photographs from her Facebook page.
But was Pink’s Facebook page really hacked, or was she just one of the many people who have been careless with their privacy settings?

The Grammy award-winning singer, famous for hit records such as “Get the party started” and “God is a DJ”, posted on Twitter about the incident, but didn’t clarify the nature of the photos the hackers might have accessed.

iPhone 5 giveaways on Facebook – a scam or what?

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:49:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Even if it hasn’t been officially announced yet, and certainly isn’t available to the general public (unless an Apple employee loses a test model in a bar), there are plenty of scammers out there trying to trick you into believing you can get a free iPhone 5.

Here’s just a sample of the pages on Facebook claiming to be an iPhone 5 giveaway. Typically they are trying to trick you into clicking on links, driving traffic to online surveys which earns them revenue.

Facebook to launch music service on September 22

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:22:00 +0000

TechSpot: Facebook plans to launch a music service on September 22, which happens to coincide with the company’s F8 conference. The news comes via CNBC’s twitter feed which reported the headline earlier today.

A quick blurb on CNBC’s website also mentions the pending music service launch, suggesting that Facebook won’t actually host the music, but will partner with a provider to offer the service.

There isn’t much more to go on at the moment, but this isn’t the first time we’ve heard such rumors. Last month, Facebook announced a video calling feature powered by Skype. Software developer Jeff Ross panned through the program’s code and found references to an app called Facebook Vibes which connects with a music download dialog. Ross posted the following statement on his blog.

Twitter finally released a "Stalkers" app? No, it's a phishing scam

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:21:00 +0000

Sophos Labs: Twitter users are being hit today by messages claiming to link to a new app from Twitter which will track your stalkers.

However, the messages are really designed to steal your Twitter usernames and passwords.

Here’s a typical message that users are seeing:

Twitter finally released an app that tracks your “Stalkers” get it here [LINK]

If you click on the link you are taken to what appears to be a legitimate Twitter page, asking you to confirm your username and password before the “Stalkers” app can access your account.

Facebook CAPTCHA fail

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:13:00 +0000

SophosLabs: Facebook has taken security to a whole new level.

I think this speaks for itself.

Facebook: Keeping You Safe from Scams and Spam

Fri, 20 May 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Facebook Security: Facebook is committed to bringing you a safe experience on the Internet, and today we are announcing several new features to help protect you while online.

Partnership with Web of Trust

First, we’re happy to announce a partnership with Web of Trust
. Web of Trust is a free safe surfing tool that tells you which websites you can trust based on the ratings supplied by other Web of Trust community members. Facebook already has a system that automatically scans links to determine whether the websites associated with those links are spammy or contain malware.

Facebook password changed? Malware attack poses as message from Facebook support

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:22:00 +0000

Sophos Labs: Repeat after me: It’s “Facebook”, not “FaceBook”.

Learn that lesson and it can be one of the tricks you can use to protect yourself against a spammed-out malware campaign, which tries to trick you into believing that Facebook support has changed your password.

Computer users are receiving emails claiming that the popular social network has automatically changed their password to secure their account.

Here’s a typical message:

Twitter spam and viagra galore

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Spam mails claiming to be from Twitter that send you to pharmacy sites are a popular wheeze for spammers, and here we go again.

It seems I have “two PR messages from Twitter”. If that wasn’t enough to get me clicking (it isn’t), I can also join in on sports conversations, argue with bloggers and tell the World when I stumble into some form of natural disaster.

Hammering one of the many links will actually take me to 219(dot)84(dot)119(dot)56/afternoon(dot)html, which will send me to pharmacydrugstorehealthprofessionals(dot)net.