Facebook users have fallen victim to a disturbing trend involving cybercriminals promoting fake Generative AI tools that are actually malware in disguise. A recent report from Bitdefender revealed that hackers managed to take over a Facebook page with over 1.2 million subscribers, rebranding it as Midjourney to push the Rilide infostealer onto unsuspecting visitors.
The fraudsters also launched a website that mimicked Midjourney, offering a downloadable version of the supposed AI tool. However, legitimate Generative AI tools like Midjourney are only accessible online and do not require any downloads. Those who fell for the scam ended up infecting their devices with the Rilide v4 infostealer, which masquerades as a Google Translate extension for web browsers.
Most of the victims targeted by the cybercriminals were men between the ages of 25-55 located in various European countries, including Germany, Poland, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden. While Facebook successfully shut down the malicious page, experts warn that similar scams are still prevalent on the platform, with new ones emerging regularly.
Users are advised to exercise caution when encountering offers for downloadable versions of Generative AI tools, as they are likely to be malware in disguise. By educating themselves about these tools and staying informed about potential scams, individuals can protect themselves from falling prey to cybercriminals on social media platforms.
