Celebrity Death Scam

Scammers have resorted to celebrity death hoaxes to spread malicious software.

Who Is It Targeting: Social media users and internet news readers

What Is It: Celebrity death hoax

What Are They After: For some reason, sharing hoaxes online has become a popular pastime. A number of celebrity deaths have been reported in the past few months, many of which ultimately prove to be false. Why would someone write a “news story” about a famous person’s death when it’s an outright lie?

The answer is simple: because you’ll click on it. Once you do, you accidentally install a virus to your computer while trying to read the story.

How Can You Avoid It:

• If you come across any kind of news article on social media, check the source before you click.
• Only reputable news outlets should be trusted with your internet clicks.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from Lep.Co.UK.