Urgent ‘do not click’ warning issued over ‘malicious’ porn site

People are being warned against a clever new scam that involves a fake Windows screen and impersonating a porn website.

Now, we know that hackers are getting smarter when it comes to the way they try to steal our data or defraud us of money.

From smart phishing emails claiming to be giving away freebies to fake invoices, and even someone pretending to be your CEO or HR and instructing you to withdraw cash, there's a lot to watch out for.

A recent YouGov survey found that 11 percent of Brits say they have fallen victim to phishing scams, with more than half of victims experiencing loss of money as a result of the scam (58%).

And now, as we say, there's a new one to watch out for.

It seems that scammers are taking advantage of the new restrictions surrounding porn sites that came into play earlier this year.

A new phishing scam has incorporated porn to trick victims into installing malware (Getty Stock Image)

If you're not caught up, essentially people trying to access adult websites will now have to undergo rigorous age verification checks in the UK.

The reasoning behind the change is to stop children from accessing porn, as Ofcom has previously highlighted research which indicates that as many as eight percent of children aged eight-14 in the UK had visited an online porn site or app over a 28-day period.

And now, as per Forbes, attackers have worked out that malicious emails pushing links to adult sites will get plenty of clicks.

Hackers are sending out emails posing as adult websites and if you click them, this then triggers a fake update that installs dangerous malware on your device.

Cybersecurity vendor Acronis have warned that the hackers are combining 'screen hijacking techniques with ClickFix, displaying a realistic, full-screen Windows Update of ‘Critical Windows Security Updates’ to trick victims into executing malicious commands'.

Experts are warning against accessing sites from links in emails or messages or pop-ups (Getty Stock Image)

The attack hijacks a PC’s entire screen, 'displaying an authentic looking Windows Update screen - complete with the appropriate animations, a counting-up percentage of progress and the appearance of going full screen'.

The porn element gives the scam a psychological edge as it makes you feel as if you're clicking something you know you probably shouldn’t.

So, when that urgent security update screen opens, you’re more likely to be tricked into engaging and doing or clicking exactly what it tells you to.

Acronis outlined: "The adult theme, and possible connection to shady websites, add to victim’s psychological pressure, making victims more likely to comply with sudden “security update” installation instructions."

The cybersecurity experts also warned that one single infection 'executes eight different malware samples simultaneously, possibly for testing purposes or to ensure at least one succeeds, in a highly egregious examples of “spray and prey.'

Essentially, the way to stay safe is simply to avoid accessing adult sites from links in emails or messages or pop-ups, so if you see a porn site advertised or linked in your emails , do NOT click it!

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