This scam has been very familiar to Facebook users, now it is Twitter turn again. We saw a similar scam about a month ago in Twitter and it was controlled by killing all the known short URL’s that sourced the scam. Be aware that scammers are switching addresses continuously. Thousands of Twitter users are falling once again for a scam that requires victims to grant access to a malicious application. If you receive a tweet that says:
“My profile was viewed ### times JUST TODAY! Click here to see how many views you got! http://tiny.cc/ “
Beware, here is what a user gets into when clicking on that tiny URL- (1) If you accept the application, not only will it post to your Twitter feed, it will also display an image with a random number that supposedly represents the number of people who have viewed your profile. (2) You will be given an opportunity to take a fake IQ test that suggests you could win a free iPad. Upon completion of the test, you are asked for your mobile number, and if you read the small print you find out that they will send you a trivia question via SMS 4 times per week at $2 per question or $32 a month. (3) Since you gave permission for this app to run in your PC or cell phone, other malicious software can be inserted in your PC or cell phone using the “IQ Test” internal address.
Affected users should revoke the “Profile Views” related applications access immediately. You can do that by entering Settings > Connections and revoking the rights to the application. By the time you read this post, the original link should have been blocked by the company that provides the short link, but it is safe to say that the scammer will have switched to another address already.
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