Facebook users targeted by cybercriminals

Thousands of fake messages containing malware have been sent claiming to be from the social-networking site.

Facebook targeted by cybercriminals

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Security firm Websense has reported that thousands of fake emails are being sent to Facebook users claiming to be from the site's support team.

The messages, which come from the fake address support@facebook.com and are sent to the email account members signed up with, ask users to download a .zip file that contains a new password as part of ongoing security measures.

However, the file contains malware that makes the user's computer accessible to cybercriminals.  

Carl Leonard, Websense security labs manager, said: "With the recent hack of web-based email accounts, users would feel more compelled to open an attachment that purports to hold their new password, as they'd be worried who changed it in the first place."

Websense claims to have seen 90,000 such messages alone today (27 October).

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