The Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers of a scam targeting the financial data of Facebook, Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail users.
According to the BBB, the scam infects its victim’s computers with a version of the Zeus Trojan virus — a so-called malware program regularly used to commit bank fraud.
The computer-security firm Trusteer says the virus targets Facebook users by getting them to link their Visa or MasterCard debit cards to their Facebook account; enticing them with a fake 20 percent cash back offer.
Malware scams on social networks can be particularly malicious because the fraudulent offers appear to come from trusted friends, the BBB said.
In the case of Facebook, scammers will often hijack a user’s account by getting the user to click on their post and accept their application, which can give the scammers access to all of the user’s account information, and allow them make unauthorized posts in the user’s name.
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The Zeus Trojan virus has been used by scammers for years to steal financial information from unsuspecting consumers, the BBB said.
The FBI estimates that since 2007, various versions of the virus have been used by international crime groups to steal over $60 million and infect over 4 million computers in 196 countries, the BBB said.