Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Giveaway on Facebook Offers Boots £50 Voucher & Malware

Boots UK LogoFacebook users should be on the lookout for another “free” offer that will not only promote spam, but infect your PC with a Trojan that will open a backdoor on your machine in order to download additional malicious content.

The spam message luring unsuspecting Facebook users into this dangerous malware-laden trap offers a £50 voucher for Boots, which is a popular healthcare and pharmaceutical chain in the UK:

Facebook Boots £50 Voucher Giveaway Spam
Boots £50 Voucher Giveaway
wwww.boots4.tk
As Christmas is approaching we are giving away 1250 vouchers to some lucky people, maybe you?

Please note that the cybercrooks behind this scam mean business and have setup over 15 domains that all lead to the very same trap. The URLs being used are:

  • www.boots1.tk

  • www.boots2.tk

  • www.boots3.tk

  • www.boots4.tk

  • www.boots5.tk

  • www.boots6.tk

  • www.boots7.tk

  • www.boots8.tk

  • www.boots9.tk

  • www.boots10.tk

  • www.boots11.tk

  • www.boots12.tk

  • www.boots13.tk

  • www.boots14.tk

  • www.boots15.tk


Once you visit one of the URLs listed above, you’ll be presented with the same cookie-cutter page asking you to share this special offer with all of your Facebook pals and give thanks to the crook that setup this scam.

Boots £50 Voucher Giveaway

It’s important that you do NOT share this scam or post a comment as you will be immediately redirected to another page that attempts to drop a dangerous payload on your machine.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4 identified the malicious content that will attempt to force its way onto your computer as the HTML/ScrInject.B.Gen virus, aka Adware.Windupdates to Norton antivirus users.

Once HTML/ScrInject.B.Gen (or Adware.Windupdates) makes its way onto your PC, it will open up a backdoor to download and install additional malware, spyware or any other dangerous content that will wreak havoc on your system.

What should I do if I’ve already clicked the Boots £50 Voucher Offer?


If you were duped into believing you could win a free £50 voucher for Boots, it’s highly recommended that you follow the steps below:

  1. Delete any Facebook Wall posts and private messages that advertise the Boots £50 Voucher offer. This will keep your friends and family members from being exposed to the scam and the malware it promotes.

  2. Verify that your antivirus software is up-to-date and do a full system scan to search for any viruses, malware, spyware, or any other malicious content that may have made its way onto your computer.

  3. Warn your friends and family members not to click any links related to the £50 Boots Voucher offer and instruct them to run a system scan on their computer if they have done so already.

  4. Avoid following links that offer free gift certificates and “crazy” videos on Facebook as they typically wind up to be nothing more than a survey scam or a way for crooks to spread malware and any other dangerous content they wish to spread.


You should always run a full antivirus suite on your PC that offers real-time scanning and a personal firewall. As you can see, failure to do so can easily result in your computer being infected.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hyphenet or “Like” us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats.

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