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Hacked High-Profile Twitter Accounts Still Spreading Malicious Links

by Warren Riddle on June 25, 2009 at 08:59 AM

Phishing scams involving hijacked accounts continue to sweep through the popular microblogging site Twitter. In January, hackers commandeered the accounts of several high-profile members, including Britney Spears and Barack Obama, and distributed malicious links and spam messages. On Tuesday, scammers used the profile of Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple Fellow with over 100,000 followers, to post a link to a site that claimed to offer a (non-existent) sex tape featuring 'Gossip Girl' star Leighton Meester.

According to PC World, University of Alabama at Birmingham computer forensic scientist Gary Warner believes that over 1,600 people have already followed the link to a fake porn site that links to a Trojan horse program. This software affect both Macs and PCs, and, if downloaded, essentially turns your computer into a zombie that can be controlled from afar, enabling perps to extract valuable personal information. The scheme also leeched off the compromised accounts of a political blogger, a rising musician, and a gay news site, some of which still have the malicious link available on their Twitter pages.

With numerous scams currently afflicting Twitter and Facebook, it's incredibly important to refrain from immediately clicking on links, even if they seem to be from a trusted source. You should also take steps to stengthen and protect your passwords, and to be aware of the current prevalent and popular scams being employed. Our helpful 15 Phishing Scams to Watch Out For can further help you understand what to avoid. [From: PC World]

Tags: phishing, scam, security, social networking, SocialNetworking, Twitter

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