Viral Video Means Computer Repair

It seems like there is always a new scam or virus to crop up every single time the last is caught by computer repair services. The new one, which hit Facebook and other social networking sites in early August, includes a sordid video that gets people’s attention so that they don’t even realize they are downloading anything dangerous. As reported by Bitdefender, the virus preys on the curiosity of social media users by posting a video entitled “Girl Killed by Husband Just because She Kissed another Man.” The teaser picture appears to be a woman about to be beheaded so that even more people are interested.

The Download

The video cannot be watched directly from social media sites, so the curious user will have to click on the link, expecting to see crime footage that will both disgust and fascinate them. If you come across this video, you will have to go through a couple of steps created by the hacker specifically to draw you in more and more.

1. You must “like” the video to see the content. This gives it more “likes” and seems to lend more credence to its authenticity.
2. You must then go to the link.
3. Then, you must download a plug in to watch the video properly. Here is where they get you. This “special” plug in you need to watch the video isn’t Flash player. It is the virus itself. Any computer repair specialist will tell you to be wary of downloading video plug ins.
4. You never get to watch the video. It continues to say another plug in is missing.

Congratulations. You didn’t see the footage that piqued your interest in the first place, but now your computer will be infected.

The Virus

The virus connected to this video, according to Bitdefender, is twofold. It comes with adware and that means pop ups even when you aren’t on the comuter, and it comes with malicious code that could access NPII or non-personally identifiable information. In other words, the hackers won’t be able to get your financial details or personal information, but they can still wreak havoc on your machine.

With the target information the hacker has, they can send links and pop ups that may get your interest enough for you to click on them. Once you do, you could be downloading a much more malicious virus that can cause even bigger problems. However, the vast majority of the adware you will see is simple ads – these days, plenty of people are not above using black hat (underhanded) techniques to drive traffic to their website. This is one of them.

How can you protect yourself from this scam? To begin with, don’t click on any videos unless you know one of your friends personally posted it. If a video asks you to download anything, don’t do it. In some cases, a plug in may be legitimate, but it is better to contact computer support first to verify this. If you did click and download, and now you are getting unwanted adware, be sure to contact Dave’s Computers today. We can provide you with computer help to clean your machine up quickly and easily.