Tag Archive for: Scam

Urgent warning to Facebook users over ‘I can’t believe he’s gone’ scam that tricks you into downloading malware

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  • Scammers use fake news articles to trick Facebook users into following links
  • Experts say pay close attention to the link URL to avoid downloading malware  



Cybersecurity experts have issued an urgent warning to Facebook users over a new scam that they’ve coined the ‘I can’t believe his gone scam’. 

This emotionally manipulative scam tricks users into downloading malware, with posts featuring fake BBC branding, and implying that a loved one has died. 

Clicking on the linked post will bring users to a compromised site designed to harvest their personal information.

Marijus Briedis, cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, said: ‘When you come across unexpected or alarming posts, especially those about personal emergencies, take a moment to verify their legitimacy before clicking any links.’ 

Here are the key signs to look out for to make sure you don’t fall victim to the scam. 

Cybersecurity experts have issued an urgent warning to Facebook users over a new scam that they’ve coined the ‘I can’t believe his gone scam’
This emotionally manipulative scam tricks users into downloading malware, with posts featuring fake BBC branding, and implying that a loved one has died (stock image)

READ MORE: Fresh warnings over latest ‘hi mum’ text scams where fraudsters ‘prey on our goodwill with emotive stories’ 

The ‘I can’t believe he’s gone scam’ was first highlighted by cybersecurity researcher Pieter Arntz from Malwarebytes.

As Mr Arntz explained in a blog post, the scam consists of a post containing some variation of ‘I can’t believe he’s gone. I’ll miss him so much’ and a link.

If you follow the link, you will be brought to another Facebook post showing what appears to be a BBC news article about a fatal road accident. 

This post will also contain slightly different text to the original, saying: ‘I can’t believe this, I’m going to miss him so much’.

But while this post might appear legitimate at first glance, this is actually a fake link to a malicious website.

Mr Arntz writes: ‘The BBC news logo in the picture and the BBCNEWS part of the URL are…

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Scam Alert: Fake obituary links on Facebook can lead to malware, virus – 11Alive.com WXIA

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Scam Alert: Fake obituary links on Facebook can lead to malware, virus  11Alive.com WXIA

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Hiring? New scam campaign means ‘resume’ downloads may contain malware

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A cybercrime gang is targeting hiring managers and recruiters in a new campaign to spread the “more_eggs” backdoor malware.

Emails from supposed job seekers are luring victims to malicious “resume” downloads using sophisticated social engineering and infrastructure, Proofpoint said in a security briefing Tuesday.

The briefing outlines the evolving tactics of the threat actor tracked as TA4557, which Proofpoint researchers have been monitoring since 2018.

Spear phishing strategy convinces recruiters to stray from safety

Secure email gateways are one of the most common endpoint security measures used by organizations; new methods by TA4557 seek to bypass these measures and lure job recruiters to attacker-controlled websites.

“The social engineering is very compelling leading up to the download of the file from the resume website,” Proofpoint Senior Threat Analyst Selena Larson told SC Media.

The attacks, which Proofpoint first detected in October 2023, begin with an email inquiring about an open position. With no links or attachments, the seemingly benign email gets the foot in the door to start building trust.

If the victim responds, the attack chain continues with the supposed job candidate inviting the hiring manager or recruiter to download a resume from their “personal website.”

Unlike classic jobs scams targeting job seekers themselves, there is no need to impersonate an established business through methods like typosquatting. Additionally, researchers began seeing in early November that attackers avoided sending links altogether by directing their victims to “refer to the domain name of my email address to access my portfolio.”

Requiring the victim to copy and paste the malicious domain name increases the likelihood the emails will make it past secure email gateways. Plus, with unassuming domain names like “wlynch[.]com” for a candidate named William Lynch and “annetterawlings[.]com” for a candidate named Annette Rawlings, the emails are less likely to raise alarm bells than those from free email providers like Gmail or Yahoo.

The attacker-controlled “candidate” websites were found to apply filters based on details like the victim’s IP address to…

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Pair Lost Over $40,000 in ‘Malware’ Scam, Police Say

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Two local residents recently lost more than $40,000 after they were duped into believing that someone from Microsoft was helping them remove malware from their computer, state police said.

According to a news release issued by the Dublin barracks Saturday, the Riegelsville area residents called the “phone number listed on the malware” after their computer became “infested” with it.

“They believed they were in contact with Microsoft,” police said.

Instead, they were in contact with a thief who ultimately defrauded them of $40,600, the news release said.

Police said their investigation is ongoing.

Earlier this month, state police said another upper Bucks County resident was swindled out of nearly $50,000 in a phone scam.

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