YouTube viruses

Hackers are now using replications of YouTube sites to lure users into downloading spyware.

The fake YouTube sites, which look remarkably close to the real deal, install software on a user’s computer that allows a hacker to gain access.

But after this spyware has been installed on a user’s computer, the virus directs the user to an actual YouTube page, essentially hiding the crime.

“It’s spot-on accurate, and that is scary,” Jamz Yaneza, threat research manager for security software company Trend Micro told The Age. “If I were watching YouTube videos all day I would probably click on this one.”

But users note: the fake YouTube sites won’t show an internet URL, as links to these sites have to be sent via email, so junk folders will help sift through potentially harmful messages.