18 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
18 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Twitter worm that spreads through DM

by Dana_W
15 replies
This is a Mashable article about one of the latest Twitter worms:

WARNING: Twitter Worm Spreading via Direct Messages

I got this DM and it's particularly sneaky. When you get a message saying something "ROTFL! Is that you in this video?" Immediately you're going to want to see what video they're talking about.

Of course it's some weird worm-thing where if you click on the link...it takes you to a fake Twitter home page where you are supposed to enter your name and password.

And then when you DO, it sounds out that same sneaky message from YOUR account, to all of your Twitter followers.

Bottom line - be very cautious about clicking on ANY link in a Twitter direct message, even if it appears to be from a friend. Your friend may have been duped. And don't EVER click on a link in a Twitter DM and then enter your name and Twitter password.
#spreads #twitter #worm
  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    I thought those were suspicious when I received two earlier today.

    It looks very similar to an URL that was used for a similar phishing scheme earlier in the year. I suspected they would take me to a fake Twitter login page, but didn't try it out.

    I think the phishing scheme earlier this year--or at least one of them--used this same tactic of a video that purportedly had you in it.
    Signature

    Dan's content is irregularly read by handfuls of people. Join the elite few by reading his blog: dcrBlogs.com, following him on Twitter: dcrTweets.com or reading his fiction: dcrWrites.com but NOT by Clicking Here!

    Dan also writes content for hire, but you can't afford him anyway.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1211545].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
    I must be crazy - I got a bunch of those and just deleted them and unfollowed the people who sent them.

    They're OBVIOUSLY spam and I didn't give them a second thought.

    But it's good of you to mention them here as some people new to Twitter would probably get suckered in.

    Thanks for caring.

    Andy
    Signature

    nothing to see here.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1211562].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
      Originally Posted by Andyhenry View Post

      I must be crazy - I got a bunch of those and just deleted them and unfollowed the people who sent them.

      They're OBVIOUSLY spam and I didn't give them a second thought.
      But, they weren't spam. Probably most of the people "sending" them were victims who fell for the scheme.
      Signature

      Dan's content is irregularly read by handfuls of people. Join the elite few by reading his blog: dcrBlogs.com, following him on Twitter: dcrTweets.com or reading his fiction: dcrWrites.com but NOT by Clicking Here!

      Dan also writes content for hire, but you can't afford him anyway.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1211585].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Andyhenry
        Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

        But, they weren't spam. Probably most of the people "sending" them were victims who fell for the scheme.
        OK - in my Twitter world, that's how I classify them. I just saw them and immediately unfollowed the people who sent them.

        If they're people I usually interact with I'd either notice, or they'd reply to my tweets and I'd end up following them again anyway.

        Either way - I don't give it a moments thought.
        Signature

        nothing to see here.

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212308].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Chris Stigson
    Yeah, too many wierd DM's now a days... I don't even check mine too often anymore! Cause overwhelmed with Spam, bad links to crap and other "get rich in 30 seconds" stuff... =(

    - Chris
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1211607].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author linkedinlincoln
    Sounds like an exact copy of a worm that was spreading through MSN messenger earlier this year.

    The MSN version actually infected the host computer (not sure what the point was) so I hope that this new twitter worm is web based only!

    -Kathy
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1211677].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dana_W
    The sad thing is that some people who are too trusting will fall for this, and then their good name will be ruined when the phishers send out emails using their accounts. I mean, when I get a scam email I tend to think the person who sent it is a sleazy spammer, but in all fairness, they could have had their account hacked into with one of these ruses.

    I am PETRIFIED of that happening to me on Twitter! So just to let you know - I don't send out DMs asking anyone to click on a link, or trying to sell you anything!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212106].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JimHardin
    Thanks for the tip...those worms are out there everywhere. I guess you have to keep your eyes peeled
    Signature

    Jim Hardin
    http://www.jimyjack.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212131].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author meldave
    Pc World published an article about the scam about 3 hours ago stating how it had been reported on the Mashable blog earlier in the day. You always have to keep your head in the game.

    David
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212207].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author whateverpedia
    Thanks for the heads up. Eternal vigliance, our best defence.

    Not quite sure what the purpose of this worm is. Is it just to clog up the web with crap? Harvest people's details? Or the first step to something bigger? Hmmm.
    Signature
    Why do garden gnomes smell so bad?
    So that blind people can hate them as well.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212290].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Brown
    Thanks for the heads up. I haven't been able to use DM's (Something is technically wrong.

    "Thanks for noticing--we're going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.") for a few weeks now anyway so maybe its a good thing I haven't.
    Mike
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212394].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Neil Kieren
    Somehow this worm seems very familiar...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1212485].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Dana_W
    Yesterday I got about a dozen DMs, all from different people, saying "I make $300-500 a day online - here's how!" with a link to some sales page. I checked one of the senders Twitter home page - he didn't seem like the type to send that kind of DM. He wasn't a marketer and none of his tweets were sales-y.

    So I sent HIM a DM telling him I got that DM from him and asking if he meant to send that to me. He apologized to me and said he'd been the victim of a hacker.

    I'm going to try to do more of that in the future - yes, it takes more time, but I hate to Twitter-block innocent people, and if I were the victim of that kind of phishing/hacking I would want someone to tell me.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1213417].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author DotComBum
    Twitter is actually a dangerous place, don't click any link in DM.
    Signature

    >>>DotComBum's Top Sites List - FREE Random Traffic For All!!

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1213435].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bobsstuff
    HMMMmmmmmmmmm! Maybe those Twitter DM messages I've been deleting were "wormy". I keep getting odd seeming messages and just delete them. I guess it is a good thing. .
    Signature
    Bob Hale
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[1213701].message }}

Trending Topics