Are any of your Facebook friends posting status updates about how they’ve been turned off from drinking Coca Cola after watching some video? Yes, there’s the rare chance your friend has gotten sick of the “Buy the World a Coke” jingle, but it’s more likely that their account has been hijacked (or rather, “clickjacked”) by nefarious, nerdy forces.
The sketchy Facebook statuses read: “I am part of the 98.0% of people that are NEVER gonna drink Coca Cola again after this HORRIFIC video” and encourages you to watch the video and “Find out the TRUTH about Coke!!!”
Clicking on the link — Don’t do it — will take you to a page with what looks like a video player and the words “9/10 People said they WOULDNT drink Coca Cola After seeing this video!!!”
Attempting to watch the video brings up a pop-up window alerting you that you can’t watch it until you’ve shared the link 7 times on Facebook. However, even doing that won’t actually unlock the video.
There is a link that says, “Cant Be Botherd To Wait? Click Here To Skip This.” Clicking that link will take you to a survey — Don’t fill it out! — that asks all manner of personal information.
So, if you see your friends posting about this alleged Coca Cola video, just let it pass without clicking. You’ll be happy you did.
The ‘Never gonna drink Coca Cola again’ Facebook scam [Sophos.com]
More From Consumerist
-
Coroner Concludes Woman’s 2 Gallon A Day Coca-Cola Habit “A Substantial Factor” In Her Death
-
Coca-Cola Taking Its Head Out Of The Sand, Addressing Obesity For The First Time In Ads
-
Is The Real, Super Secret Coca-Cola Recipe For Sale On eBay?
-
Pepsi To Replace Coke In Costco’s Beloved $1.50 Soda & Hot Dog Deal
-
How Did A Coke Only Cost A Nickel For 70 Years? Because Coca-Cola Said So
Yes, I am already aware of the scam known as Facebook.
There’s a ton of these, most are along the lines of saying you wouldn’t do after watching a video.
Facebook’s APIs so that you can do stuff on facebook through other sites are – shocker – super insecure. The day that Facebook loses all its users, or that Mark Zuckerberg gets what’s coming to him will be a glorious day indeed.
Kind of like the ones that say “Check out this picture I found of you on http://www.xyz.com!!”
Heard it all before.
A virus that relies on stupidity to propagate? That’s unpossible!
Ralph: What’s a battle?
Superintendant Chalmers: Skinner! Did that student just ask “What’s a battle?”?
Principal Skinner: Uhhh, no, sir. He said, “What’s that rattle?”.
A virus that relies on stupidity to propagate? That’s unpossible!
However, the people who make postings on their facebook page warning people of this or any scam and the telling all their friend to cut and paste the warning onto their wall can be just as annoying as the scam itself…
I want to create one. The status update will read:
‘I will never use Facebook after watching this video! Click here to find out the TRUTH about Facebook!’
The link will lead the the “Delete my account” page. How many people do you think I could get to fall for it?
Genius!
There are tons of variations of this scam. Usually along the lines of “OMG, I’LL NEVER (fill in the blank) AGAIN AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO!!!11!!!1!”. The link takes you to a FB page saying that you have to share the page with ALL of your friends, post it on your wall, like the page, etc. before you can see the video. Anyone who knows understands Facebook knows it doesn’t work that way.
I also see these for supposedly free expensive/non-existant/fake items in various Facebook games, the promise of free credits in games that usually cost actual money, etc.
Social engineering isn’t that hard. I could post a link that says “Don’t click here or you’ll get a virus” and people would click anyway. I could then insist they like the page and post it to all their friends’ walls if the *really* wanted to get the virus and there are people who would do it. They just can’t resist seeing if it’s really true or not. Kinds of like your friends who forward those “MS developed an email tracking program – forward this email to 100 friends and get a free trip to Disney World and a pony!” emails “just in case they’re true”.
“I could post a link that says “Don’t click here or you’ll get a virus” and people would click anyway.”
Already done.
http://blog.didierstevens.com/2007/05/07/is-your-pc-virus-free-get-it-infected-here/
or
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Hundreds-Click-on-Click-Here-to-Get-Infected-Ad/
A virus that relies on stupidity to propagate? That’s unpossible!
There’s one going around, too, that’s like “98% of people laugh after seeing this page”; I had no idea it was a scam, but I sure as hell don’t click on stupid shit like that.
huh i thought this was gonna be about the FB clickjacking script to post on peoples walls with out their consent
but whoever thought this one up must be doing pretty good even though their coming in this late to the whole fanpage scam market
3 words: Disney’s secrets revealed.
Stupid Facebook… I wish I could quit you.
The survey is likely CPAlead/CPAlock…
http://dmmcintyre3.tk/cpalead-bypass
I got one of these but it was a variation. I had to first like the page, then share it with my friends, and then they wanted me to complete one of three “offers”. I quickly deleted my “like” of the page and commented to my friend that I do virus removal for only 39.95.
This sounds like phishing, not clickjacking.
it’s a decent way to tell which of your friends are gullible —
My biggest concern is with older and younger users who are not sophisticated enough to know this is a scam — breaks my heart to think of my non-computer savvy dad who is on FB to see what his kids are up to clicking through.
Wish Facebook took SOME accountability to at least post warnings about these things like Craigslist does.
Again, we need to sit down and chat with stupid people:
If there is a video anyone wants you to see, they will probably put it somewhere like youtube or blip or any number of free streaming services online. You don’t even have to join these sites to see the videos. Anyone pushing a “cause” with facebook status updates is either hijacked or an idiot, unfriend them immediately. And, finally, over and over it’s said: Do not give out ANY personal info to ANY person/site/company/agency/etc you are not familiar with. Email forwardings and random links are not your friend.
The first generation who grew up with the internet in their homes gives all old and/or dumb people until the end of the year to get with the program, then we’re coming for your computers. 8 year olds know this stuff by now.
Anytime I see a “POST THIS IN YOUR STATUS… MOST PEOPLE WON’T” I ignore and move on to the next one. The only time I get remotely involved is if one of my friends starts posting those Amber Alert things that are out of date and bogus. I spend more time dispelling myths over work email and Facebook than actually working. I should be in IT.
Is that what we’re supposed to do??
Whatever. I don’t click on links unless they give me farmville cash.