http://www.gspcomputers.net
(864) 498-0569
(864) 498-0569
GSP Computer Repair Service - Greenville & Spartanburg, SC (864) 498-0569
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Conficker: how to avoid infection and what to do if you are infected
Monday, September 26, 2011
Facebook price grid? $9.99 for gold membership? The charging hoax continues to spread
Facebook price grid? $9.99 for gold membership? The charging hoax continues to spread:
Duped Facebook users are sharing a message with their online friends, believing it will help them avoid charges of between $3.99 and $9.99 per month.
Of course, the chain letter is completely bogus - and should not be forwarded. Read more…
Duped Facebook users are sharing a message with their online friends, believing it will help them avoid charges of between $3.99 and $9.99 per month.
Of course, the chain letter is completely bogus - and should not be forwarded. Read more…
http://www.gspcomputers.net
(864) 498-0569
(864) 498-0569
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Facebook birthday T-shirt scam steals secret mobile email addresses
Facebook birthday T-shirt scam steals secret mobile email addresses:
Facebook scams are getting sneakier and sneakier - with the latest attack using the lure of a free T-shirt celebrating Facebook's birthday in an attempt to steal the secret backdoor key to your account.
The offer seems attractive enough - a webpage claiming to celebrate Facebook's 7th birthday, saying that it has over 1.9 million official T-shirts in stock.
All you have to do is verify that you are a Facebook user, claims the following webpage. And this is where things get very sneaky.
The webpage tells you to visit Facebook Mobile, and find on that page the personalised email address that you can use to post status updates or upload photos and videos straight to your profile.
Many people are probably unaware that such a thing exists - but every Facebook user has a secret mobile email address they can use for this purpose.
The important thing, of course, is to keep it secret. Because if someone else finds it out, they'll be able to post status messages to your Facebook page or upload videos and photos to your wall - which your friends will be able to see.
The scammers, unsurprisingly, want your secret mobile email address for Facebook. And so they claim that you have to hand it over to verify you are a legitimate Facebook user in order to get your T-shirt.
The scammers have even had the gall to make a YouTube video showing how to find the secret email address on the Facebook Mobile page, and where to enter it on their form:
The above video is made by a YouTube user called "vicsthedevil" and we have to assume that they are intimately involved in the scam. They posted the video on 5 September, the same day that they registered the website domain name where they are hosting their scam.
Of course, you're still hoping that you're going to receive a free T-shirt. So you may not baulk at the idea of completing a survey (which, by the way, earns commission for the scammers) and giving them your snail mail details so they can send through your free gift.
Good luck, by the way, on that T-shirt. My hunch is that you won't ever receive one. But the scammers now have the ability to post to your Facebook page and upload pictures to your account, and you have helped them earn some money in the process.
If you were hit by this scam then you must refresh your Facebook mobile upload email address - that way the bad guys you just gave it too won't be able to use it as a secret backdoor into your account.
How to refresh your Facebook Mobile upload email address
Some commenters have asked how do you change your Facebook Mobile upload address. Unfortunately, Facebook has made it somewhat tricky to find this option (maybe that's why the scammers felt they had to make their own explanatory video!).
Visit www.facebook.com/mobile.
Refresh the page until you see an option like that displayed below. You may have to scroll down the page to find it.
You should now see your Facebook Mobile upload address. Beneath it you should also see an option to "Find out more". Click it, and a screen like the following should pop up.
On this page you should find an option to refresh your mobile email address - but note! Facebook warns that you can only refresh it a limited number of times.
If you don't change your mobile email address on Facebook, you're just asking for trouble. In the past, Facebook pages such as that belonging to the Van Gogh Museum have been hit by scammers who abused the mobile upload feature.
It would be great, of course, if there was a way of telling Facebook to not allow any email address to be used for mobile uploads, as I would imagine that many individuals and companies would find the permanent blocking of the feature attractive.
If you're a Facebook user and want to keep up on the latest threats and security news I would recommend you join the Sophos Facebook page - where more than 100,000 people regularly discuss the latest issues.
Follow @gcluley
Facebook scams are getting sneakier and sneakier - with the latest attack using the lure of a free T-shirt celebrating Facebook's birthday in an attempt to steal the secret backdoor key to your account.
The offer seems attractive enough - a webpage claiming to celebrate Facebook's 7th birthday, saying that it has over 1.9 million official T-shirts in stock.
All you have to do is verify that you are a Facebook user, claims the following webpage. And this is where things get very sneaky.
The webpage tells you to visit Facebook Mobile, and find on that page the personalised email address that you can use to post status updates or upload photos and videos straight to your profile.
Many people are probably unaware that such a thing exists - but every Facebook user has a secret mobile email address they can use for this purpose.
The important thing, of course, is to keep it secret. Because if someone else finds it out, they'll be able to post status messages to your Facebook page or upload videos and photos to your wall - which your friends will be able to see.
The scammers, unsurprisingly, want your secret mobile email address for Facebook. And so they claim that you have to hand it over to verify you are a legitimate Facebook user in order to get your T-shirt.
The scammers have even had the gall to make a YouTube video showing how to find the secret email address on the Facebook Mobile page, and where to enter it on their form:
Of course, you're still hoping that you're going to receive a free T-shirt. So you may not baulk at the idea of completing a survey (which, by the way, earns commission for the scammers) and giving them your snail mail details so they can send through your free gift.
Good luck, by the way, on that T-shirt. My hunch is that you won't ever receive one. But the scammers now have the ability to post to your Facebook page and upload pictures to your account, and you have helped them earn some money in the process.
If you were hit by this scam then you must refresh your Facebook mobile upload email address - that way the bad guys you just gave it too won't be able to use it as a secret backdoor into your account.
How to refresh your Facebook Mobile upload email address
Some commenters have asked how do you change your Facebook Mobile upload address. Unfortunately, Facebook has made it somewhat tricky to find this option (maybe that's why the scammers felt they had to make their own explanatory video!).
Visit www.facebook.com/mobile.
Refresh the page until you see an option like that displayed below. You may have to scroll down the page to find it.
You should now see your Facebook Mobile upload address. Beneath it you should also see an option to "Find out more". Click it, and a screen like the following should pop up.
On this page you should find an option to refresh your mobile email address - but note! Facebook warns that you can only refresh it a limited number of times.
If you don't change your mobile email address on Facebook, you're just asking for trouble. In the past, Facebook pages such as that belonging to the Van Gogh Museum have been hit by scammers who abused the mobile upload feature.
It would be great, of course, if there was a way of telling Facebook to not allow any email address to be used for mobile uploads, as I would imagine that many individuals and companies would find the permanent blocking of the feature attractive.
If you're a Facebook user and want to keep up on the latest threats and security news I would recommend you join the Sophos Facebook page - where more than 100,000 people regularly discuss the latest issues.
Follow @gcluley
Friday, September 2, 2011
'May God always bless..' Facebook virus hoax spreads
'May God always bless..' Facebook virus hoax spreads:
Facebook users are sending scary warnings to each other regarding a supposed new piece of malware spreading across the social network.
The warnings are being spread rapidly by well-intentioned Facebook users, but the truth is that we have seen no evidence of any such spyware.
Our friends at Facecrooks believe they have got to the bottom of the mystery.
They have determined that rather than a genuine virus, the warning was kicked off by a Facebook application called Bold Text making over-exuberant, if not downright spammy, wall postings.
Over one million people are reported to have used the application, so clearly its self-promoting tactics are working.
If you see one of your friends reposting the warning about the 'May God always bless..' message then please tell them that it isn't true that it's a virus, and point them to this article or the information on Facecrooks.
And if you installed the Bold Text application, and aren't enjoying the messages it is posting, you should revoke its access to your Facebook account.
It's not the first time, of course, that Facebook users have been misled of the full facts by virus hoaxes. Most recently we have seen a bogus warning message about an Olympic Torch virus that could "burn the whole hard disc.. C of your computer"
Make sure that you stay informed about the latest genuine scams spreading fast across Facebook and other internet attacks. Join the Sophos Facebook page, where more than 100,000 people regularly share information on threats and discuss the latest security news.
Follow @gcluley
Facebook users are sending scary warnings to each other regarding a supposed new piece of malware spreading across the social network.
Attention!!!If you see anyone post out an application written "May God always bless this kind person below with peace, love and happiness", with your profile picture attached below, and send by your friend via Bold Text. Please DONT click "like" or "SHARE", is a spyware, and all your info at FB will be copy and reuse for other purpose. Please share this info out. Thanks......;)
The warnings are being spread rapidly by well-intentioned Facebook users, but the truth is that we have seen no evidence of any such spyware.
Our friends at Facecrooks believe they have got to the bottom of the mystery.
They have determined that rather than a genuine virus, the warning was kicked off by a Facebook application called Bold Text making over-exuberant, if not downright spammy, wall postings.
Over one million people are reported to have used the application, so clearly its self-promoting tactics are working.
If you see one of your friends reposting the warning about the 'May God always bless..' message then please tell them that it isn't true that it's a virus, and point them to this article or the information on Facecrooks.
And if you installed the Bold Text application, and aren't enjoying the messages it is posting, you should revoke its access to your Facebook account.
It's not the first time, of course, that Facebook users have been misled of the full facts by virus hoaxes. Most recently we have seen a bogus warning message about an Olympic Torch virus that could "burn the whole hard disc.. C of your computer"
Make sure that you stay informed about the latest genuine scams spreading fast across Facebook and other internet attacks. Join the Sophos Facebook page, where more than 100,000 people regularly share information on threats and discuss the latest security news.
Follow @gcluley
(864) 498-0569
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