The website Mashable.com reports this morning that there is a fake password reset e-mail for Facebook circulating. The e-mail comes with an attachment that, if executed, will install a virus on your computer. This is obviously something you don’t want to have happen.
I’d like to take this opportunity to explain the importance of considering context when you receive such an e-mail.
Let’s suppose you have a Facebook account. If you receive this e-mail but you not request that your Facebook password be reset, the likelihood is pretty great that the e-mail is fake and should be deleted. It’s a good idea to make sure you can still log into your Facebook account, so go ahead and do that. It should go without saying that you should NOT click on any links in his e-mail to get your Facebook account. You should have it separately bookmarked already.
If you don’t have a Facebook account, there is zero chance that the e-mail is genuine. Just delete it and be done with it.
Context also applies when you receive an error message of some kind. Many websites will display advertisements that look like Windows error messages. At best these ads want to sell you something, at worst clicking on them will install a virus. Either way, simply ignore these ads and you should be safe.