Hackers are now using replications of YouTube sites to lure users into downloading spyware.
The fake YouTube sites, which look remarkably close to the real deal, install software on a user’s computer that allows a hacker to gain access.
But after this spyware has been installed on a user’s computer, the virus directs the user to an actual YouTube page, essentially hiding the crime.
“It’s spot-on accurate, and that is scary,” Jamz Yaneza, threat research manager for security software company Trend Micro told The Age. “If I were watching YouTube videos all day I would probably click on this one.”
But users note: the fake YouTube sites won’t show an internet URL, as links to these sites have to be sent via email, so junk folders will help sift through potentially harmful messages.
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