Rumours are spreading on Facebook warning users not to download a Facebook app called the Christmas Tree app because it is a dangerous Trojan or virus and will crash your computer. Many variants of the rumour claim that IT website GeekSquad said it was one of the worse Trojan viruses they had ever seen.
The rumours are not true, and have been spreading over each festive period since 2010. A number of variants of this rumour have spread, yet none have identified a real threat concerning a Facebook app called Christmas Tree.
WARNING!!!!!! ….. Do not use the Christmas tree app. on Facebook. Please be advised it will crash your computer. Geek squad says its one of the WORST trojan-viruses there is and it is spreading quickly… Re-post and let your friends know ;-}”
There are – and have been – a number of apps on Facebook called Christmas Tree, but none of these match the description in the warning. Indeed none of these even could match the description since Facebook apps are by their very nature NOT Trojans or viruses. They install on your Facebook account, not your computer. Whilst it is true that Facebook apps can act maliciously and direct to external webpages that could try and install malware onto a computer, we have not seen this behaviour in any app named Christmas Tree and nor has anyone else.
In fact in 2010 and again in 2013 GeekSquad – who were mentioned in the rumour – stated they had nothing to do with the rumour and they hadn’t claimed the app was a Trojan or virus, despite the claims made in the warning.
At that time Geek Squad reached out through our social media presence and various hoax debunking sites to say that we had never investigated any Christmas-tree-related Facebook apps. Because we never looked into it, we couldn’t have determined the extent to which it could be dangerous to Facebook users.
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The claim that a particular warning is describing the “worst known virus” (or similar) is a popular modus operandi to propel that warning to Internet stardom, despite being inaccurate, and this is what we’re seeing here.
Bottom line – always be careful what Facebook apps you install as there are malicious apps out there, but there is no truth to this claim whatsoever.