A series of scammy links are spreading across Facebook claiming that the son of actor Will Smith, Jaden Smith, has committed suicide.
An example of one of these links can be seen below. However many different variants are currently spreading.
The link is a scam. Jaden Smith has not committed suicide, and these links are a part of a scam campaign designed to lure Facebook users into installing rogue Facebook applications and visiting malware-laden website.
Many of the links we analysed led to an external website which in turn led to the permissions page of a spammy Facebook app that requested permission to install on the users account and post on their behalf. This naturally leads to that Facebook user’s account posting the same spammy link to all of their friends.
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Other links led to websites that attempt to trick the visitor into installing malware on their website.
Be sceptical of these sorts of links that appear on Facebook. Only get your news from reputable media outlets and don’t rely on links on social media.
Additionally, if you do click on one of these links and are asked either to install a Facebook app or download some software to your computer, always decline! Never jump through hoops, like Facebook pages, install software or apps to get to a news story – this is a sure fire red flag of a scam.
If you installed a rogue Facebook app when trying to access this story and your account is now posting spammy links, make sure you remove the app straight away.
