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Facebook Fan Check scareware begets malign ware-scares

Searching for information about a supposed virus threat affecting Facebook might itself be hazardous. The blogosphere was alive with talk (here and here) about an application called "Facebook Fan Check" and the possible threat it might pose. However, searching for the term "Facebook Fan Check Virus" might itself be hazardous, …

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Graham Cluley
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Still no evidence that the Facebook app was malicious

Hi, I thought I'd just post a follow-up.

We've still seen no evidence that the Fan Check Facebook app which has got everyone scared witless is malicious. We can't be specific about what precisely "Fan Check" does to Facebook users as we're unable to access it.

What isn't in doubt, however, is that the bad guys have set up websites which have been optimised to appear high in Google search results for people hunting for info on Fan Check, but are designed to spread a fake anti-virus application instead.

So, even if it's true that the Facebook app is harmless - there is still a danger out there, that many Fan Check-fearing people are being directed to.

Graham Cluley, Sophos

HonkingAntelope
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Fan Check App .....

definitely does something to your Facebook account.

I'll admit to installing it for a laugh. then after reading other people's statuses about the possibility of a virus threat, I uninstalled it and untagged myself from any photos. And now, random status updates from last week appear with newer ones, and I cannot view certain photos ....

Coincidence? I think not.

Let's hope it's not too nasty ...

Andrew Johns

@HonkingAntelope Coincidence? of course!

I've never installed or been tagged with fancheck, and had exactly the same random status update problems that you mention. that was an issue with facebook, not fancheck, so yes, it was just a coincidence.

Graham and others are attempting to educate people and reduce the amount of scaremongering going on with this app, but some people just don't want to believe experts and would rather spread unfounded rumours without really knowing what the real problem being reported is.

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