“Media Player Classic” malware scams target Facebook users

Social media users should be on the lookout for links directing them to webpages asking you to download software called “Media Player Classic”.

A popular way of luring victims into installing malware is to trick them into thinking they are downloading software that will allow them to play videos. We discussed the trick in a blog post here, where the malware can be disguised as video plugins, updates or codecs.

 

A pop-up asking you to download what appears to be a harmless program.

And in this case the malware is called “Media Player Classic” by the scammers, who link to their download webpages through links that are auto-posted by compromised Facebook accounts. (not to be confused with a legitimate program at MPC-HC.org)

Victims who click the links they see on Facebook are told they need to download “Media Player Classic” in order to watch a video. Often they are also directed to spoof websites that look like the Facebook login information which steals their Facebook username and password, thus allowing their own account to spread the same scam.

The important rule of thumb is, as always, NEVER download anything onto your computer if you do not trust the source, and be especially aware of webpages that ask you to download any sort of software as a pre-requisite to watching a video.

Because in the famous words of Admiral Ackbar, it’s a trap.

If you think that you have downloaded harmful files to your computer, make sure you do a full antivirus scan straight away with your up-to-date security software. If you don’t have any or need to upgrade, you can check our recommendations here.