The craze may have run its course, but crooks are still using the ice bucket challenge to bait unsuspecting web-surfers.
The challenge’s popularity has faded over the last few weeks, but leave it to internet scammers to keep it around, or at least pretend to.
Leah Napoliello with the Houston Better Business Bureau says fake donations and sketchy links are set up to rip people off.
“Click the link, and then it will actually install malware on your computer, so you want to be cautious about what you’re clicking,” said Napoliello.
This isn’t limited to the ice bucket challenge. It’s a type of “clickbait” scam, Houston BBB’s Monica Russo says, that uses trigger words to evoke urgency.
“Stay away from promotions of ‘exclusive,’ ‘shocking,’ or ‘sensational’ footage,” Russo warns. “If it sounds too outlandish to be true, it’s probably a scam.”
One tip if you’re not sure: Hover over a link without clicking it to see where it really goes.
SEE ALSO: Mike Barajas’ ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Becomes Family Affair
Crooks Use Ice Bucket Challenge to Bait Unsuspecting Web-Surfers was originally published on news92fm.com
