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There is a nasty scam about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight making the rounds on Facebook. The scam claims to provide news about the plane being found in a surprising location. Here’s what you need to know to avoid getting duped.
1. Malaysia Airlines Facebook Hoax Claims Plane Found in Bermuda Triangle
#Scam: #Malaysia Jet found in Bermuda Triangle Viral #Facebook links are Malicious: More ➜ http://t.co/CTEtuR43dE pic.twitter.com/niFgc8Cbet
— Hack Read™ (@HackRead) March 16, 2014
The scammers lure in naive Facebook users by claiming that the missing Malaysia Airlines flight has been found in the Bermuda Triangle. In some cases, scammers are claiming that they have news about survivors from the missing plane.
Headlines being used in scam ploys may include “Malyasian Airlines Finally Found!” or “Video of the Malaysia MH370 Plane Found in Bermuda Triangle!”
2. Clicking the Scam Link Endangers Facebook Users
According to BGR, “The spam video has been enticing users to click on the link has flooded users’ timelines and spreading malware.” Users are also being directed to malicious websites that can harm their computer.
If you are interested in following this ongoing news story, you should avoid clicking any links on Facebook that claim to have news about the missing plane. Instead, visit reputable news sites directly.
3. Malaysia Airlines Scammers Using Wrong Images, Bad Grammar
One ABC News affiliate notes that spotting scam links on Facebook requires a keen eye:
“The spammers are using famous images of other flights, such as US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River or Lion Air Flight 904 that crashed in Indonesia while all its passengers survived. Some of the posts also use an excessive amount of exclamations and incorrect capitalization. “
4. Malaysia Airlines Hoax Also Linked to Twitter
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The image above shows a relative of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Facebook isn’t the only social media vector being used to spread lies and malware. The Independent reports that tweets about the missing flight which link to malicious sites have also been spotted.
5. Malaysia Airlines Not the Only Source of Scams
Using a newsworthy tragedy to spread malware isn’t exactly a new tactic for scammers. Prior to the use of the Malaysia Airlines mystery, the Independent reports that scammers also leveraged events like the Japanese Tsunami from 2011 and the Philippines earthquake to spread false hope.
