Fake antivirus on twitter

Twitter has been hit by fast-spreading spam using Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) goo.gl URL shortening service.

The attack sends malicious links that take recipients clicking on them to a website hosting the "Security Shield" antivirus software program.

When users land on that site, they are essentially tricked into downloading and paying for the Security Shield application.

Twitter is resetting the passwords of accounts that are spreading the malicious link, to stop it.

The attackers send out tweets containing a link from the goo.gl shortened link service. This service and others like it compress long URLs into shorter ones, making them easier to fit into services like Twitter, which places a strict limit on the number of characters each tweet may contain. However, the services can also disguise the true nature of a link by hiding its actual URL.

Anyone clicking on the link is taken through two bounces to a website hosting the "Security Shield" fake antivirus program. Visitors are told they have suspicious applications running on their PCs and are urged to run a scan.

The scan shows the victim's PC is infected, and the website then asks the user to download and pay for the Security Shield application. This is fake and a scare tactic.

to get out of this fake screen stating you have a virus press alt "F4" and scan you r computer with your own virus program.