Computerworld

Scammers use missing Malaysia Airlines plane news as online bait

Fake Facebook page pretends to have news about the missing airline

People searching for news about the missing Malaysia Airlines plane are been warned to steer clear of a fake Facebook page which is designed to generate money for scammers.

According to a blog by Websense senior manager Carl Leonard, the fake Facebook page has a share button, blue and white graphics and looks legitimate.

However, if a consumer clicks on the site, they are presented with a link which claims to present a Yahoo! news article.

The user is then encouraged to share the news article. If the person is logged into Facebook, the fake link is shared with all their friends, warned Leonard.

People are than presented with a link containing a YouTube video which is rated R18+.

“To verify your age, you have to complete a short test below,” reads the message. People are encouraged to take part in the test with claims of thousands of dollars or vouchers if they do.

However, this is a lure designed to generate money for the scammers as part of what Leonard referred to as a Cost Per Action (CPA) scam.

CPA is an online advertising price model where the advertiser pays for clicks or impressions.

Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick

Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU, or take part in the Computerworld conversation on LinkedIn: Computerworld Australia