"Facebook password reset confirmation customer support" virus
Virus-tainted spam threatens estimated 400 million Facebook users in an effort to steal banking passwords and gather other sensitive information. According to anti-virus software maker McAfee Inc., the emails tell the recipients that their passwords on Facebook have been reset, urging them to click on an attachment to obtain new login credentials. If the attachment was opened, it would download malicious software, including a virus that steals passwords, McAfee said on Wednesday.
Hackers have always targeted Facebook users. With this new attack, they use regular emails to spread their malicious software. The company could not make any comment on this case but pointed to a status update, warning Facebook users of the spoofed email and advising the users to delete the email. McAfee estimates tens of millions of the email have been sent out across Europe, the United States and Asia since the campaign began on Tuesday.
McAfee’s director of malware research and communications, Dave Marcus, 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.
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