‘This Virus Creates Fake Followers on Instagram’ – ‘Mashable’

Kurt Wagner says, “President Obama has them. So do many of the Fortune 500 CEOs. We’re talking about fake social media followers, and it’s no surprise that some of the Internet’s most popular social media accounts are bolstered by a less-than-real following.

What is surprising is how these fake followers are now being created. A virus traditionally used for stealing credit card data — known as Zeus — is now being used to increase the online presence of Instagram accounts, according to a Reuters report. (In 2010, the FBI reported that hackers in Eastern Europe used the Zeus virus to steal $70 million from U.S. banks.)”.