A fake warning that Facebook may start charging $4.99 a month is being used to lure users into downloading malware.

"Thousands of disgruntled punters, angry at the $4.99 a month charge for using the social networking site that will supposedly kick in from June (or July, according to other false reports) have been induced to visit 'protest group' sites in response to spam emails," writes The Register's John Leyden. "However, in reality, there is no such plan and the protest pages often contain malware."

"A quick check on one such UK group contains no scripting unpleasantness directly, but it does link to numerous third-party sites whose provenance remains suspect," Leyden writes.

Click here to read the story at The Register.