Free iPad used as bait in Facebook – advertised phishing scheme

June 2010 Information Security

Social networking is so good even for illegitimate marketing campaigns.

How would you like to get one of the much-anticipated iPad gizmos in exchange for simply filling up a mere survey? Well, the offer sounds pretty good – in fact, it sounds too good to be true and that is what it is.

The scheme is massively advertised on a Facebook Events page where about 2500 people signed up for the event and – probably – fell victim to the phishing attack. The idea behind it is extremely simple: you sign up for 'reviewing' an iPad device, get the product and a questionnaire you need to fill in and return to the company. Needless to say that you get to keep the reviewed item without any commitment on your side.

Concealed by a short URL, the target phishing page initially asks for some pretty reasonable info such as the first name and the e-mail address, and culminates with requiring a full set of details, including the full name, home address and phone numbers, as shown below. In order to make the whole deal look legit, the attackers have thrown in logos belonging to high-profile media outlets, although the mentioned institutions have no clue about this initiative.

After all the data has been collected, the attacker asks the user to undergo a last security check and provide their Facebook username and password. Please note that our experiment is carried in a contained environment and we do not encourage you to type in your account credentials on any website except for the genuine one.

To add insult to injury and to maximise the damage, the unwary user whose account has just been phished would be required to download and install an adware application (a browser toolbar) that hijacks the browser’s start page and swaps the default search engine, among others.

Needless to mention that, after filling in the personal details, getting phished and installing the toolbar you will never get the iPad, nor will you hear from the attackers again.

The scheme is based on a common practice amongst product creators, namely sending sample units for reviewing.

However, it is not everybody who can receive a testing unit, as the offer is mostly pointed at opinion influencers, high-profile bloggers and – most of all – specialised review websites. Even that way, journalism ethics urge that the reviewer returns the tested unit to the provider after the process has completed. Now, repeat after me: if something looks too good to be true, than it probably is and you will end up hurting yourself.

Facebook has been notified and the Events page has been taken down.

In order to stay safe, BitDefender recommends you to follow the security tips below:

* Do not enter your personal data and do not download or save files from sources you do not know;  use only the producer’s official website.

* Install and activate a reliable security solution .

* Update your antimalware, firewall and spam filter as frequently as possible, with the latest virus definitions and suspicious application/file signatures.

* Scan your system frequently.

For more information contact Aline Anton, senior PR and marketing coordinator, EMEA & APAC Business Unit, BitDefender, [email protected], www.bitdefender.com





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Highest increase in global cyberattacks in two years
Information Security News & Events
Check Point Global Research released new data on Q2 2024 cyber-attack trends, noting a 30% global increase in Q2 2024, with Africa experiencing the highest average weekly per organisation.

Read more...
Identity is a cyber issue
Access Control & Identity Management Information Security
Identity and access management telemetry has emerged as the most common source of early threat detection, responsible for seven of the top 10 indicators of compromise leading to security investigations.

Read more...
Identity and authentication
Technews Publishing SMART Security Solutions Access Control & Identity Management Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
Identity authentication is a crucial aspect of both physical security and cybersecurity. SMART Security Solutions obtained insights into the topic and the latest developments from three companies.

Read more...
From QR code to compromise
Information Security News & Events
A new attack vector involves threat actors using fraudulent QR codes emailed in PDF attachments to bypass companies' phishing security measures by requiring users to scan the code with their mobile phones.

Read more...
Organisations fear AI-driven cyberattacks, but lack key defences
Kaspersky Information Security News & Events Training & Education
A recent Kaspersky study reveals that businesses are increasingly worried about the growing use of artificial intelligence in cyberattacks, with 56% of surveyed companies in South Africa reporting a rise in cyber incidents over the past year.

Read more...
Vodacom Business unveils new cybersecurity report
Information Security IoT & Automation
Cybersecurity as an Imperative for Growth offers insights into the state of cybersecurity in South Africa, the importance of security frameworks in digital resilience and the latest attack methods adopted by cyberattackers.

Read more...
Smart surveillance and cyber resilience
Axis Communications SA Surveillance Information Security Government and Parastatal (Industry) Facilities & Building Management
South Africa’s critical infrastructure sector has to step up its game regarding cybersecurity and the evolving risk landscape. The sector has become a prime target for cybercriminals on top of physical threat actors, and the consequences of an incident can be far-reaching.

Read more...
NIS2 compliance amplifies skills shortages and resource strain
Information Security Security Services & Risk Management
A new Censuswide survey, commissioned by Veeam Software reveals the significant impact on businesses as they adapt to this key cybersecurity directive, with 95% of EMEA businesses siphoning other budgets to try and meet compliance deadline.

Read more...
Cybersecurity needs 4,7 million professionals
Information Security
Despite all the efforts organisations worldwide put into preventing cyberattacks, global cybercrime has snowballed to $9,2 trillion in 2024 and is expected to grow by another 70% to $15,6 trillion by the end of a decade.

Read more...
Autonomous healing systems are the future
Infrastructure Information Security AI & Data Analytics
Autonomous healing software, an emerging technology, is gaining traction for its potential to transform how organisations manage software maintenance, security, and system performance.

Read more...