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25 Mar 2009
Twitter has become the latest social networking site to be deluged with spam.
Anti-virus firm F-Secure noted on its blog that fake accounts have been bombarding users with unwanted messages which has had the effect of slowing the site down.
By setting up a fake profile, Patrik Runald - chief security advisor at the F-Secure Security Labs - discovered an account belonging to a Kristen Andrews.
One of the Tweets coming from that account read: "My boyfriend emailed me this site that has a $5000 slot tournament on april's fool day and it's free to enter", followed by a URL.
Clicking on the URL took users to a casino site - Goldencasino.com.
"Twitter is aware of the problem and deleted 'follower' Kristen's account within 10 minutes but the problem is that new Twitter scams are popping up left, right and centre," said Runald.
"Tweeple should check who's following them, and be cautious when clicking on URLs and tinyurls."
Another piece of Twitter spam discovered by Runald was more malicious. A tinyurl link takes users to a scamming site promising that users can earn thousands of dollars by becoming a Google Cash advertiser. All they have to do is fill in their card details.
"So this is what it's really about," wrote Runald in his blog. "They want my credit card info and my personal details. Stay away from it."
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Do you agree?
<p>Twitter's is use for social networking only not for spammers...We all know that there are malicious people who wants to earn easy money that's why they use an easy way to attract people's attention. Just beware...Thanks.</p>
Posted by: Phillipe the phones man 09 May 2009
<p>Ahhh it was bound to happen eventually - they'll recover and learn from their mistakes.</p>
Posted by: Wink lady 26 Mar 2009
<p>It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise to anyone that Twitter is being abused by spammers.</p> <p>After all, the service doesn't even take the most basic of steps to confirm people's identities (for instance, they don't check that the email address you use at sign-up really belongs to you whereas many other web services at the very least ask you to respond to an email to confirm).</p>
Posted by: Graham Cluley, Sophos 25 Mar 2009