Oonagh ReidyFacebook Scam Nabs Google+ Fans
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A new Google+ scam on Facebook is spreading like wildfire, users were warned today.
A fake app, ‘Google Plus Direct Access’ which requires Facebook users to ‘like’ the page in order to link up to the new social network download page, has just been uncovered.
And it appears the app has taken on a a life of its own, having gathered approximately 3,300 fans or ‘likes’ within just 24 hours.
The fake app is helped by a spreading mechanism which prompts users to invite 50 friends, with the invites also ending up on Facebook user newsfeed for public viewing.
However, there is no actual link to Google+ and no chance of receiving an invitation, online security expert BitDefender warned today.
Whilst relatively harmless now, there is a possibility for the app’s creators could attempt phishing attacks on its growing fanbase by taking advantage of the personal information that it has access to from users having ‘liked’ the page.
“This scam highlights the increasing propensity for cybercriminals to ‘trendjack’ the latest news in order to exploit people’s natural curiosity,” Catalin Cosoi, head of BitDefender’s Online Threats Lab, says.
“From the high number of fans that ‘Google Plus Direct Access’ has gathered in just 24 hours, it seems that this particular example has been successful in achieving its purpose of misleading people into believing there is a Google+ invite waiting for them at the other end.”
This latest scam coming from an unknown external source marks the latest twist in the ongoing battle between reigning social kings Facebook and new entrant Google, who recently launched its +1 social networking recommendation tool that mimics its rivals ‘like’ button.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook retaliated just last week seeking to defend its 750 million-strong membership base by linking up with Skype to offer free video calls to all users.
However, social networkers should look before they ‘like’ on Facebook and should watch out for friends postings, for fear of online threats or viruses.
“We have not seen any malicious threats appearing from this app yet, but the inherent risk is certainly something to consider before ‘liking’ or ‘fanning’ a Facebook page, Cosoi added.
By ‘liking’ the page, users inadvertently share their profile information and contact details with the app’s creators.
“Users need to take real care when using any social network and be wary not to get drawn into something that more often than not is too good to be true.”