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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11No: Johnny Depp did not die in a French car crash. The 2010 report was fabricated, and criminals used the rumor to lure people to a supposed crash video that prompted them to install malware disguised as an ActiveX codec.
What happened in the Johnny Depp crash-video attack?
On January 25, 2010, Dark Reading reported that a false claim of Depp’s death in a French car crash was being used to draw visitors to malicious pages. The supposed video would not play until visitors downloaded a fake Video ActiveX codec. Running that executable installed a Trojan identified by Sophos as Troj/Dldr-DB.
The death report itself was a hoax, apparently first published on a prank site designed to resemble a CNN report. Graham Cluley’s contemporaneous Sophos-related account said the rumor spread through forwarded messages and Twitter before leading people to pages claiming to show video evidence.
How did the fake video install malware?
- Catch attention: A shocking celebrity-death claim encouraged people to search for details or share the news.
- Borrow credibility: A page styled to look like a familiar news outlet made the false report seem plausible. The real domain in the address bar could expose the impersonation.
- Ask for a download: The page claimed a Video ActiveX codec was needed to watch the footage.
- Run the payload: The downloaded executable was not a legitimate viewing requirement; running it installed Troj/Dldr-DB.
ActiveX was a Windows technology used by some web applications and browser components at the time. The important warning is not that every codec or video download is malware, but that a page reached through a sensational, unverified claim should not be trusted when it asks you to install an unexpected executable.
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Was the video real, and did the death report come from CNN?
The death claim was fabricated, and the pages described in the contemporaneous reports falsely presented themselves as sources for crash footage. The prank site mimicked CNN’s appearance; it was not evidence that CNN had reported Depp’s death. A familiar logo or page design is not proof of authenticity. Check the actual web address and confirm a major story through the outlet’s genuine site or other reliable reporting.
Did related email scams use the same rumor?
Yes. The same celebrity-death theme also appeared in malicious email campaigns, though those messages were a related delivery method rather than proof that every email used the same Trojan. Symantec documented subject lines such as “Johnny Depp died” and celebrity fatal-crash claims. Messages used malicious HTML or ZIP attachments; one sample executable was detected as Trojan.Zbot. Norton’s August 24, 2010 release also warned that such messages sought access to computers and personal information through malicious attachments.
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How can you check a celebrity death story safely?
- Look for confirmation from established news organizations, and navigate to their sites directly rather than trusting a forwarded link.
- Inspect the full domain in the address bar. A copied logo or CNN-like layout does not make an unrelated domain legitimate.
- Do not install a codec, browser add-on, or other executable just because a page claims it is required to view sensational footage.
- Treat unexpected email attachments and links with the same caution, even when the subject line names a well-known person.
What should you do if you downloaded or ran the codec?
If you only downloaded a suspicious file and did not open or run it, do not execute it; remove it using your device’s normal file-management tools and run a scan with trusted, updated security software. If you ran it, disconnect the affected computer from networks if you suspect active compromise, then update trusted security software and run a full malware scan. Avoid entering passwords or sensitive information on that device until it has been assessed. If a scan confirms an infection, or the computer behaves suspiciously, seek current professional help; the 2010 reports do not establish a present-day cleanup procedure for every affected system.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the campaign’s scale?
The contemporaneous accounts identify the lure and malware, but do not publish a reliable victim count, infection total, financial-loss estimate, or measured reach. The documented dates are Dark Reading’s report on January 25, 2010; Cluley’s account on January 24–25, 2010; and Norton’s related email-campaign release on August 24, 2010.
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