A new malware scam is spreading around Facebook.

This time, hackers are taking advantage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 to hijack Facebook accounts.

Malaysia Airlines missing plane Facebook scam
A new Facebook malware scam abuses the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. The Hacker News

The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people mysteriously disappeared on Saturday on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite an international search for the missing plane, very little is known about what happened to MH370.

Hackers are playing on the world’s curiosity and spamming Facebook with posts that claim to be “breaking news video footage” of the plane sitting in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle. The hackers write that the video was released by CNN to add credibility and even features a “play” symbol to make the post look like an authentic video.

The title of the post varies slightly, with some claiming that every passenger was found alive while others say that only 50 people were found alive, but all do the same thing.

When a user clicks to play the video, they are instead redirected to a malicious phishing websites that instructs the user to share the video before they watch. This gives the hackers access to the Facebook account and automatically posts on the user's Facebook wall in order to trick others.

Similar links are also being shared on other social media platforms. Of course the truth is that the Malaysia Airlines plane has not been found. While a user may trust the person that "shared" the video, Facebook users should always verify that links will go to where they claim. Authentic websites will never require a user to share a video before it can play.

If you have already clicked on the link, shared it or “liked” it, your best bet is to immediately delete the post from your wall and change your Facebook password. It’s also wise to change the password on any other accounts that use the same password as your Facebook account.