False Facebook emails can lead to theft of personal data - SSO-AL2009-014

02 April 2009

Software and platforms affected

The following operating system platforms:

Windows (any version)

What is the problem?

Fake emails posing as friend requests from Facebook are being widely circulated. These emails are lures to fake websites containing malware, programs designed to steal personal, confidential and valuable information from computers (identity theft).

The content of the emails all differ slightly but possess similar characteristics.

The following is an example:

From:

"Facebook presentment" <support60@facebook.com>

Subject:

Facebook announcement: Great looking girl having fun (Last rated by Bradford Collins)

Body:

Messages from Your Friends on Facebook, April 01, 2009

You have 1 friend requests - Personal Message:

Watch the video titled "Drunk Charlize is dancing striptease on my Birthday Party, March 28, 2009! We're absolutely shocked!".

The emails contain a link to a site that will attempt to infect your machine. Some anti-virus software may not yet detect this malware.

The website links present in these emails mimic the Facebook website and present an alert with the following request:

"Please Download correct Flash Movie Player! Installation: Double-click the downloaded installer. Follow the on-screen instructions"

What we recommend you do

If you receive an email similar to the above, do not click on the link. Delete the email straight away.

If you have already clicked on the link, it is quite possible your computer may now be infected.  It is recommended you seek professional assistance in helping detect and remove the malware.

Make sure you have anti-virus software installed and keep it updated.

Disclaimer

This Alert has been prepared by AusCERT for the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

The information is intended for used by home users and small to medium sized businesses and is general information only and not intended as advice and was accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. The material and information in this Alert is not adapted to any particular person's circumstances and therefore cannot be relied upon to be of assistance in any particular case. In any important matter, you should seek professional advice relevant to your own circumstances.

The Commonwealth, AusCERT, and all other persons associated with this Alert accept no responsibility or liability for information either included or referred to in the Alert. No responsibility or liability is accepted for any damage, loss or expense incurred as a result of the information contained in the Alert, whether by way of negligence or otherwise.

The listing of a person or organisation in any part of this site or Alert does not imply any form of endorsement by the Commonwealth of the products or services provided by that person or organisation. Similarly, links to other web sites have been inserted for your convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.

Please note that material in this Alert, as the case may be, includes views or recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth, or indicate its commitment to particular course of action. Material on this site or in this Alert may also include information provided by third parties. The Commonwealth cannot verify the accuracy of information that has been provided by third parties.