Cybercriminals are exploiting the popularity of the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” luring unsuspecting users to malicious sites or convincing them to make supposed donations.
Emails are the most common method for redirecting users to malware, but telephone calls have also been observed with victims, asking them to make immediate "donations" to fight ALS.
USA Today reports that cybercriminals rely on sending emails containing malicious links, which supposedly refer to various celebrities completing the "Ice Bucket Challenge", but in reality lead to the installation of malware.
In less harmful cases, criminals lure victims with “Ice Bucket Challenges gone wrong,” aiming to increase traffic to specific websites.
Hoax-Slayer also warns of another scam promising access to the video of a teenager who died after being injured during the challenge. This scam targets Facebook users, with the aim of either completing various online surveys for the benefit of criminals, or redirecting them to malicious sites serving malware.
