General Etiquette > Techno-quette

Yet another Facebook conundrum

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Nurvingiel:
My friend sent me and others a group message on Facebook that read "Adam got me started making money with this (extremely dodgy link)." (Sent from Facebook Mobile)

There are two parts to my problem:

1. Technical

Facebook mobile means she sent this from a phone. Can phones get viruses? I guess it's also a computer capable of running a web browser, so, yes?

Can I get her virus/malware/whatever by simply reading the message (I obviously didn't click the link)?

2. More importantly, etiquette

Should I tell her I think she has a virus? I don't want to sound all "you are an idiot and got a virus haaa".

I don't think she actually sent this for the following reasons:
a. I doubt she would send anyone spam, and this is definitely spam
b. Link is extremely cryptic and therefore dodgy
c. The biggest tip of the message's suspicious source is that everyone who received the message has a first name starting with the same letter. I don't know any of the other recipients.

My friend and I have numerous (32) mutual friends since we went to university together. Surely I would know one or two people in a mass mailing from her if she really sent it?

I like her but I don't know her really, really well. If I knew her really, really well I would have no trouble sending her a private message (not on her wall) to say, hey buddy I think you have a virus. I just don't want to offend her.

???

Vegemite Girl:
I had the same situation with a friend recently. I sent her an email saying "hey, I got a FB post from you that looked odd, so I checked it out and apparently it's a virus that's doing the rounds on FB... here's a link to it"

Getting a virus like that isn't a failure on her part - these things happen. Just be matter of fact and give her a heads up.

Lisbeth:
A lot of Facebook E-mails have gone out that have viruses in them.  If it looks wrong, it probably is.

But I agree with the PP-it probably wasn't malice or carelessness that caused this to happen.

Bramble:
It also may not be strictly speaking a computer virus.  It may just be a malicious facebook app.

Nurvingiel:
This wasn't an email, it was a private message. But I totally agree that she didn't do anything wrong by getting this virus.

I sent her a note to tell her about it, but before I saw your post Bramble. But if she knows something is wrong I bet she'll find out the source.

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