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'Official' Facebook Anti-Virus Is Neither Official, Nor an Anti-Virus. Discuss.

by Amar Toor on March 30, 2010 at 09:29 AM

Given the barrage of viruses and scams that have hit Facebook recently, it would only seem like a logical solution to download some sort of anti-virus application specifically designed to combat Facebook-oriented malware. The only problem, though, is that the latest anti-virus app to pop up on user profiles is a total fraud.

As AllFacebook reports, the application does a great job of pretending to be busy fighting crime, and will waste no time in plastering anti-virus images all over your friends' Walls. Its page even has an official Facebook logo, and displays other branded icons that would hint at legitimacy. Despite its appearances, though, it doesn't actually do anything. The app's semi-legit looking graphic, full of pie charts and statistics, is, in fact, a complete mirage -- and doesn't change over time or across user profiles.

The way it spreads, as F-secure explains, is through photo tags and Wall posts. Once installed, the app will automatically tag 20 of your friends in a photo, some of whom, presumably, will go on to install the software themselves. It should be noted, though, that useless as it is, the faux anti-virus app doesn't seem to have any malicious effect on computers or accounts. It's just kinda there, much like your appendix. Unlike your appendix, though, it will spam all of your friends, which is totally annoying. [From: AllFacebook and F-secure]

Tags: antivirus, AntivirusSoftware, facebook, FacebookAntivirus, FacebookApps, scam, security, socialnetworking, spam, top

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