A "new" viral message warns Facebook users of a virus supposedly transmitted when you receive a notification that you've been tagged in a picture and click on a link to see it. This is the text of the rumor:

NEW VIRUS ON FB using YOUR pictures. It says you've been tagged in a picture, wants you to click on a link to see it. Then hacks into YOUR computer & ALL YOUR ACCOUNTS including BANKING & other secure accounts. It DESTROYS YOUR COMPUTER. Once hacked into your comp; it sends e-mails to your friends telling them they have been TAGGED in pics & starts the process again. PLEASE RE-POST URGENT !!!!!!!!!!

This warning isn't really new — it's been circulating since last year, when it was debunked by Hoax-Slayer.com — nor is it entirely true. Facebook automatically notifies users when they've been tagged, and there's typically no harm in clicking through to tagged images. I've found no confirmation on Internet security sites of a related virus that "hacks into your secure accounts" or "destroys your computer."

Photo tagging spam

I have seen reports of an annoying phenomenon called "photo tagging spam" wherein marketers tag images with the names of people who don't actually appear in said images to advertise products or drive traffic to storefront websites. If you receive such a notification you can delete your name by viewing the image and clicking the "Remove My Tag" link (which should appear next to your name), and you can report the spammer by clicking the "Report this Photo" link below the picture.