Yesterday it was Macaulay Culkin. Today it’s Miley Cyrus. Another death hoax spread across the internet this weekend causing several Smilers to panic about their favorite singer’s well-being.
i heard a rumor this morning that miley cyrus died from overdose, i was so afraid
— ⠀ (@BABYHEMM0) November 9, 2014
My life is over. Miley Cyrus died of drug overdose today.
— wait, what? (@05_ellison) November 8, 2014
tor just told me miley Cyrus died I’m gonna throw up idk if it’s true or not
— miley ray cyrus (@gabmarsellaxoxo) November 8, 2014
The Miley Cyrus death hoax started circulating on Facebook earlier this week. The post claimed that there was a video of Miley shortly after she overdosed. But users who clicked the link were not directed to the Miley Cyrus death video. Instead, they were directed to a fake survey website that attempted to extract vital information like credit card numbers, bank information, and home addresses.
If you see something similar to the image above on Facebook, do not click it. It’s a scam. In fact, it’s the same scam that has been used on dozens of other celebrities.
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning earlier this year about “shocking videos” on Facebook. The BBB said that these videos are used as “clickbait” and often lead to malicious sites.
Here are some tips from the BBB.
- Don’t take the bait. Stay away from promotions of “exclusive,” “shocking” or “sensational” video or photos. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Don’t click on links leading to unfamiliar websites.
- Don’t trust your “friends” online. It might not actually be your friends who are “liking” or sharing scam links to photos. Their account may have been hacked and scammers could be using another tactic called “clickjacking.”
Macaulay Culkin did not die this weekend. Miley Cyrus did not die this weekend. Oh, and apparently there’s a rumor going around about the death of Chris Bosh. Don’t worry. That one isn’t true either.
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