The users of the popular social networking site Facebook - including fans of ESET - have reported a virus targeting Facebook Fan Check application. This is a hoax that has been spread among the application’s users, which in turn has led to increased search activity on this topic.
The hoax prompts an action on the users’ side, whom it directs to a website peddling a rogue antivirus product. The tactics used are quite aggressive, the users being swamped with pop-up dialogue boxes posing as if performing a serious virus scan.
The aim of this scheme is to infect those users not protected by a legitimate antivirus solution and to trick them into purchasing a rogue solution. If not careful, the user can end up paying for an unwanted application that was thought up for the only purpose of generating profit for its creators.
Juraj Malcho, the Head of ESET Virus Laboratory recommends "to behave responsibly and refrain from clicking on links containing promising offers to purchase dubious software or any other suspicious solutions."
About ESET
Founded in 1992, ESET is a global provider of security solutions for corporate customers and households. From a small family-sized venture, ESET has evolved into a leader in proactive malware detection and is in the front lines of combating emerging cyberthreats. Its flagship solutions - ESET NOD32 Antivirus and ESET Smart Security, built on the award-winning ThreatSense® engine are trusted by millions of users to protect their computers against a host of Internet-borne malware, such as viruses, trojans, worms, adware, spyware, phishing, rootkits. ESET has headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia with branch offices in Prague, Czech Republic; San Diego, USA; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. ESET‘s security solutions are available in more than 160 countries worldwide. In 2008, ESET opened its new development center in Krakow, Poland and was ranked by Deloitte Technology Fast 500 as one of the fastest growing technology companies in the EMEA region.