Viruses on Facebook: Why are people still getting caught?

09 May Viruses on Facebook: Why are people still getting caught?

Posted at 04:30h in Pop culture by
You won’t believe what song Osama was listening to before he died!
You won’t believe how a girl got a boob job on her three titties!
And… you won’t believe how it easy it is for people to get a virus on Facebook!
Over the past weeks, we’ve been seeing real people getting ketch with spam. Why? Why? Why? Why are people still clicking spam links? Every time my news feed shows me that someone has taken the ‘chain up’, I shake my head, because the gimmicks are so basic.
They got fooled with the link to see what a man saw when he walked in on his daughter, and they got fooled trying to watch a girl kill herself (And why would you want to watch someone kill deyself? Serves you right for getting a virus). They also got fooled with the beach babes video.
Then there was the video of Brad Pitt horning Angelina Jolie. Really? Think he’s that dumb to put a video out there? (Though I quite suspect she lets him have his fun). Then there’s see what you’ll look like in the future, watch how Osama Bin Laden was killed, and check out who’s watching your profile.
By now, I thought it was common knowledge that these stories and videos are nothing more than click bait. So I really can’t understand why people keep clicking them. And from the complaints I see from other Facebook users, I know I’m not the only person simultaneously confused and irritated by this, especially since their spammy ways get announced on our walls or news feed.
Since I’m a (mostly) rational being, I needed to come up with some rational reasons for why someone would fall for the malware trap. Here’s the only way I can explain it.
They don’t think
Let’s deal with the more serious issue of Osama Bin Laden. Okay. So Barack got his American gangster on and ordered a hit on Osama. Do people really think he’d let a video get out there, especially on Facebook, showing how Osama was killed? Of course he wouldn’t. Killing terrorists is not the newest craze in reality TV.
They think spam looks like this…
Insert pic
They think spam is cool
I wonder what the thought process is when someone keeps clicking spam links. Like does the person say, “Hey I know the last time I clicked a link that looked like this, it tagged people in photos, it showed up in my friends’ newsfeed or on their wall, and it attempted to install malicious software on my computer, but you know what… I think I’ll click another spam link for the fun of it”.
After decades of letters from Nigerian doctors looking to give you a million dollars, “no strings attached”, and e-mails promising you a bigger penis, you’d think people would know what spam looks like. So this has got to be the reason. Otherwise, I guess they just like having to change their Facebook password frequently.
They’re too fas’
Facebook really nurtures a cycle of macociousness. That’s why so many people are clicking to see who viewed their profile. Yup. Now they want to maco who’s macoing them. What’s that going to tell you? That the guy you’ve been stalking on Facebook isn’t stalking you? Really, what added value does this have?
They don’t read
By now we should be security conscious online. Come on. Facebook is the devil. So is Google. And Facebook and Google are looking to buy Skype. You’re supposed to be acting paranoid as hell every time you surf the Internet. So why, after so many cycles of spam, has no one read a single article that alerts them to the fact that the presence of malware and viruses on Facebook is real, and that Mark Zuckerberg would rather work on getting you to sign up for Facebook’s e-mail, than trying to get a handle on this?
Their friends usually send them crap
Why else would they so quickly click these links? Maybe they’re so accustomed to getting all sorts of scandalous stuff from their friends on FB that they click spam impulsively. Yuh know… they might have Pavlov’s dog syndrome!
They don’t have honest ‘friends’
Man… if you’ve clicked spam links more than once, I think your Facebook friends have a responsibility to message you and say, “Are you stupid? Don’t click that sh*t!” Now, I’m being a hypocrite when I say this because I don’t tell people anything either. But I’m sensing that we may soon have a spam epidemic of epic proportions on our hands, so here’s what we need to do.
*Cue problem-solving music soundtrack.*
Be alert. Be smart. Be ambitious about using our ‘common’ sense. And read more.
Think for a moment people. If the headline sounds too spicy or sensational to be true, this is a warning sign. The same goes for links with descriptions like “funniest ever” or “you’ve got to see this”. Don’t click it. And for the fellas who got caught with the beach babes video, oh gorm, just head to Maracas or Macqueripe to get your live gape on nah!
Facebook video viruses also tend to pop up in your news feed or on your wall from friends you haven’t talked to in a while. If they haven’t communicated with you in ages, do you really think they’d excitedly send you a video or link to some shady material out of the blue? Again. Think. Additionally, if you keep seeing the same message posted by various users, showing up in your newsfeed, then chances are it’s spam.
According to Sophos.com, if you’ve been suckered by spam you should delete the message from your wall, scan your computer with an up-to-date, anti-virus application, and change your password.
Clicking unsolicited links on Facebook just sets you up for malware and viruses, and that’s not sexy. So I hope I’ve helped someone with upgrading their online behaviour, and, for the folks who have spammy friends, I hope your friends read this so that you don’t have to be bombarded again. Now if you know anyone who wants to remain a sucker, then a good, anti-virus software seems like the pick for a birthday or Christmas gift. Or, you could check them into spam rehab.
Image source: hungry-hackers.com

facebookvirusYou won’t believe what song Osama was listening to before he died!

You won’t believe how a girl got a boob job on her three titties!

And… you won’t believe how it easy it is for people to get a virus on Facebook!

Over the past weeks, we’ve been seeing real people getting ketch with spam. Why? Why? Why? Why are people still clicking spam links? Every time my news feed shows me that someone has taken the ‘chain up’, I shake my head, because the gimmicks are so basic. 

They got fooled with the link to see what a man saw when he walked in on his daughter, and they got fooled trying to watch a girl kill herself (And why would you want to watch someone kill deyself? Serves you right for getting a virus). They also got fooled with the beach babes video.

Then there was the video of Brad Pitt horning Angelina Jolie. Really? Think he’s that dumb to put a video out there? (Though I quite suspect she lets him have his fun). Then there’s see what you’ll look like in the future, watch how Osama Bin Laden was killed, and check out who’s watching your profile. 

By now, I thought it was common knowledge that these stories and videos are nothing more than click bait. So I really can’t understand why people keep clicking them. And from the complaints I see from other Facebook users, I know I’m not the only person simultaneously confused and irritated by this, especially since their spammy ways get announced on our walls or news feed.

Since I’m a (mostly) rational being, I needed to come up with some rational reasons for why someone would fall for the malware trap. Here’s the only way I can explain it.

 

They don’t think

Let’s deal with the more serious issue of Osama Bin Laden. Okay. So Barack got his American gangster on and ordered a hit on Osama. Do people really think he’d let a video get out there, especially on Facebook, showing how Osama was killed? Of course he wouldn’t. Killing terrorists is not the newest craze in reality TV.

 

They think spam looks like this

spamcan

 

They think spam is cool

I wonder what the thought process is when someone keeps clicking spam links. Like does the person say, “Hey I know the last time I clicked a link that looked like this, it tagged people in photos, it showed up in my friends’ newsfeed or on their wall, and it attempted to install malicious software on my computer, but you know what… I think I’ll click another spam link for the fun of it”.

After decades of letters from Nigerian doctors looking to give you a million dollars, “no strings attached”, and e-mails promising you a bigger penis, you’d think people would know what spam looks like. So this has got to be the reason. Otherwise, I guess they just like having to change their Facebook password frequently.

 

They’re too fas’

Facebook really nurtures a cycle of macociousness. That’s why so many people are clicking to see who viewed their profile. Yup. Now they want to maco who’s macoing them. What’s that going to tell you? That the guy you’ve been stalking on Facebook isn’t stalking you? Really, what added value does this have? 

 

They don’t read

By now we should be security conscious online. Come on. Facebook is the devil. So is Google. And Facebook and Google are looking to buy Skype. You’re supposed to be acting paranoid as hell every time you surf the Internet. So why, after so many cycles of spam, has no one read a single article that alerts them to the fact that the presence of malware and viruses on Facebook is real, and that Mark Zuckerberg would rather work on getting you to sign up for Facebook’s e-mail, than trying to get a handle on this?

 

Their friends usually send them crap

Why else would they so quickly click these links? Maybe they’re so accustomed to getting all sorts of scandalous stuff from their friends on FB that they click spam impulsively. Yuh know… they might have Pavlov’s dog syndrome!

 

They don’t have honest ‘friends’

Man… if you’ve clicked spam links more than once, I think your Facebook friends have a responsibility to message you and say, “Are you stupid? Don’t click that sh*t!” Now, I’m being a hypocrite when I say this because I don’t tell people anything either. But I’m sensing that we may soon have a spam epidemic of epic proportions on our hands, so here’s what we need to do. 

*Cue problem-solving music soundtrack.*

Be alert. Be smart. Be ambitious about using our ‘common’ sense. And read more.  

Think for a moment people. If the headline sounds too spicy or sensational to be true, this is a warning sign. The same goes for links with descriptions like “funniest ever” or “you’ve got to see this”. Don’t click it. And for the fellas who got caught with the beach babes video, oh gorm, just head to Maracas or Macqueripe to get your live gape on nah!

Facebook video viruses also tend to pop up in your news feed or on your wall from friends you haven’t talked to in a while. If they haven’t communicated with you in ages, do you really think they’d excitedly send you a video or link to some shady material out of the blue? Again. Think. Additionally, if you keep seeing the same message posted by various users, showing up in your newsfeed, then chances are it’s spam. 

According to Sophos.com, if you’ve been suckered by spam you should delete the message from your wall, scan your computer with an up-to-date, anti-virus application, and change your password. 

Clicking unsolicited links on Facebook just sets you up for malware and viruses, and that’s not sexy. So I hope I’ve helped someone with upgrading their online behaviour, and, for the folks who have spammy friends, I hope your friends read this so that you don’t have to be bombarded again. Now if you know anyone who wants to remain a sucker, then a good, anti-virus software seems like the pick for a birthday or Christmas gift. Or, you could check them into spam rehab.

Image source: allwelike.com

 

Check out the rest of this week’s issue (Issue 56; 09/05/11):

Look out for  a new issue of Outlish.com every Monday!

About Serena Khan

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