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Spam about diet or weight loss plans have been around for ages now, mostly spreading through email. However, spammed messages recently made their rounds on Twitter, compromising unwitting users’ accounts and spreading via these infected accounts.

Compromised Twitter accounts post Tweets that tell their followers to click the shortened link to try out a new diet/weight loss plan.

Clicking the given link redirects users to possibly malicious websites that promote Acai Berry.

Compromised accounts were possibly infected from previous Twitter spam runs previously featured in the following blog entries and are being used again for this new attack:

• Twitter DM Spam Collects Mobile Numbers
• Job Spam Uses Twitter
• A New Twitter Worm Is Making the Rounds

As of this writing, Twitter is already aware of this latest spam attack and has taken the necessary corrective actions to prevent the spam from spreading further.

Users are strongly advised to refrain from clicking the links contained in Tweets with similar messages even if they come from a known or a trusted user. On the other hand, users who think their accounts may be one of those that have been compromised should change their passwords as soon as possible.

Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ protects product users from this kind of attack by blocking user access to the malicious domains and other related sites.

For Twitter users, follow @TrendMicro to get the latest security information and updates on how to stay protected from new and upcoming threats.