If you’re always on Facebook or Twitter and keep up with the latest funny videos, you may want to think twice before clicking on the next link, image, or video that a friend forwards to you.

A recent FBI report indicates that phishing scams are becoming more common on social networking sites through a combination of viruses, hacked accounts, and decoy messages.

The report, titled “No, Your Social Networking ‘Friend’ Isn’t Really in Trouble Overseas,” describes the scam.

Messages, which generally masquerade as warnings related to service agreements or other notifications, contain malicious cipher that covertly installs software on victims’ PCs, letting thieves steal history names and passwords.

The thieves thereupon use the accounts to distribute messages to friends of the victim, requesting large sums of money and spreading the malicious cipher even further.

The FBI suggests that users should adjust privacy settings to protect personal knowledge, disable options such […]

Orginal post by dhiram