Beware of Bogus Amy Winehouse Video Links on Facebook

Posted 07/25/2011 at 5:56am | by Paul Lilly

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The big news item in the entertainment industry over the weekend is that singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse was found dead in her apartment. Following news of her death, security firm Sophos says it took online scammers all of four hours to begin spreading fake video links on Facebook purportedly showing "Amy Winehouse getting high on crack just hours before she died" and other videos that don't exist.

"Scams like this normally lead you to online surveys, with the scammers earning themselves commission for each survey that victims complete," Sophos says. "But first they trick you into sharing the link with your other Facebook friends."

There are a handful of supposed leaked Winehouse videos making the rounds, everything from the previously mentioned to ones claiming to show her final minutes, and even an autopsy video. And not all of them are as seemingly benign as a simple online survey; some will ask visitors to download files brimming with malware to their computer.

Image Credit: Sophos