Want to see Katy Perry and Russell Brand's new, just-leaked, scandalous sex tape? Among the hundreds of millions of Facebook users there's a huge crop of people that will answer with a resounding "Yes," and to capitalize on the public lust for the former celebrity couple, scammers have begun promoting the sex tape's Facebook availability.
The problem, of course, is that there is no sex tape, Facebook-scam watchdog site Facecrooks reported. Despite a picture of the naked "Teenage Dream" pop star beside a message that says, "Katy Perry and Russell Brand Sex Tape LEAKED today on Facebook. Watch before Facebook deletes it," clicking on the supposed YouTube video will leave you, not Perry, exposed.
For those who simply cannot resist the temptation to see the bedroom footage, the link redirects traffic to a Web page that spoofs Facebook, but is actually a blog and in no way associated with Facebook. If that doesn't ring an alarm and you still want to push through to see the sex tape, the Web page claims it will show you the video after you download and install the "YouTube Premium" plug-in.
Doing so gets you no closer to the video, and instead drops a rogue plug-in onto your computer, which leaves it completely vulnerable to a host of attacks and exploitation.
"If you follow the scam through to its completion, then you are likely spreading the very same scam message to your friends," Facecrooks explained.
To keep your computer safe, and to avoid harassing your friends and possibly causing them to fall for the sex tape scam, delete any mention of it from your news feed. Remember to be cautious and skeptical about unsolicited messages you receive on Facebook, even if they come from friends.