Another Facebook scam is doing the rounds, this time claiming to link to a gruesome video of rapper Eminem suffering from multiple stab wounds after being attacked in New York.
The message, which you might see shared with you by your Facebook friends, tries to lure you into clicking on a link to watch a video:
Rapper Eminem Left Nearly DEAD After Being Stabbed 4 Times in NYC!!
<LINK>
Warning 18+!! It was all caught on surveillance video! Click the pic to play the video!
Clicking on the link takes you, via some redirects, to a website whose name suggests it is an official site belonging to the BBC.
The site, which profits from web traffic by displaying online advertising, tells you that you need to share the video on Facebook before it can be watched.
Sure enough, if you follow the instructions the site will attempt to share the link – in your name – to your online friends.
Of course, your friends are more likely to check out a link or try to watch a video if they believe that *you* are the person endorsing the link and sharing it with them.
And human nature being what it is, there probably will be lots of people on Facebook who would be interested in watching what appears to be a breaking news story about a celebrity stabbing.
Ultimately, if you follow the fraudsters’ instructions and share the link with your Facebook friends, you will be treated to a bogus YouTube page which claims that the video content is “ADULT”.
At this point you may be required to complete an online survey, earning the scammers even more commission. Remember, you never have to complete any surveys or share links with your friends to watch a real video on YouTube.
The story of Eminem’s stabbing is, of course, nonsense.
The bogus rumours of Eminem having been stabbed have been circulating on the internet for some time. Indeed, earlier this year Eminem’s publicist went so far as to make an official denial:
“not true. He remains unstabbed.”
If you are on Facebook, and want to be kept updated with news about security and privacy risks, and tips on how to protect yourself online, join the Graham Cluley Security News Facebook page.
