As Facebook has grown in popularity, it has also become a primary target for hackers and spammers. An increasing number of Facebook users are having their accounts compromised. Each newly compromised account is then used by the hackers and scammers to propagate their scam further. You don’t need to be an idiot to have your account compromised. If you are caught off guard for a second, you may accidentally fall for one of these scams. Learn how to protect yourself in this article.
1. IQ Quiz Ads
While Facebook has spent the past year trying to cut down on the number of misleading advertisements on the site, the fact remains that a small percentage of users still get duped into purchasing services they don’t really want. The IQ Quiz Scam has become ubiquitous on the Facebook Platform, and those users who install applications can expect to see an advertisement for an IQ Quiz Scam at some point. In December we covered one application developer who was using spammy techniques to get new users to install their application and ultimately click on the IQ Quiz advertisements.
As soon as you click on one of the ads, you’ll be brought to a site where you’re asked up to 10 questions which are relatively easy to answer. You will then be prompted to enter your phone number to view the results. Don’t enter your phone number! If you do, you will be charged upwards of $10 a week directly to your phone bill. While most phone companies are willing to refund you for your first purchase, they won’t do it after the first occurrence. That’s because the phone companies generate billions of dollars each year off of these types of transactions.
If you want to protect yourself from IQ quiz scams, do not enter your phone number into any sites outside of Facebook.
2. I’ve Been Robbed! Western Union Me Money!
You’re browsing around Facebook and suddenly one of your friends IMs you to tell you that they’re stuck in another country, they’ve been robbed, don’t have a wallet, and need money to get out of the country. It’s a horrible situation but what are the odds that they found a computer to log on to in order to instant message you? Even worse, what are the odds that one of your friends who was traveling abroad got robbed and wasn’t able to find anybody to help them out?
I’ve been with people who’ve lost their wallet abroad and needed to get money sent via Western Union, however if the person can get access to Facebook, they probably can access a phone. While you should always help out your friends, you can avoid being duped by international fraudsters by asking your friend to call you in order to wire the money. Unless your friend is in the middle of a jungle in the Congo, they should be able to call you.
Most of the times that this happens, it is a scammer who has stolen your friend’s account and is systematically going through and IMing each of their friends to try and get money wired to them. Don’t fall for it!
3. Facebook Phishing Landing Pages
One of the most common ways Facebook accounts get compromised is through simple phishing scams. The way it works is that a user’s account is compromised by a hacker and the hacker then uses that account to automatically post links on each of that user’s friends’ walls. Sometimes the system will send messages to the friends such as “Check out this funny video of you!” with a link that redirects to a page with a fake Facebook login page (as pictured above).
It’s pretty straight forward, and it’s easy to avoid, however countless people have fallen for this scam. The easiest way to tell if it’s a scam is by looking at the URL of the page you land on. The best way to protect yourself is, anytime you see a Facebook login page, leave it and go to http://www.facebook.com in your browser. That way you can ensure you are logging in to the correct site.
4. Koobface Worm That Automatically Hijack Your Account
We’ve written about the Koobface worm on a number of instances, and while Facebook has worked to aggressively prevent the worm, it continues to spread today. The scam is pretty straight forward. In the attack, a user will receive a message from what appears to be one of their friends. The message will say things like “Paris Hilton Tosses Dwarf On The Street; Examiners Caught Downloading Grades From The Internet; Hello; You must see it!!! LOL. My friend catched you on hidden cam; Is it really celebrity? Funny Moments” and many others.
Included in the message will be a link to a page which appears to be a YouTube video. If you click on the video, you will be prompted to “upgrade your Flash player now” and will then be asked to download a file which contains the Koobface worm. If you download and install the file, your computer will automatically log in to Facebook and send similar messages to your friends. The best way to avoid this scam is to avoid all links that are posted on your wall or in your inbox that are out of the ordinary. Also, never download a file after clicking on a link.
To learn more about the Koobface worm, check out the information at the Kapersky Lab.
5. Other Malware Applications And Links
While we’ve attempted to highlight the primary scams, hackers and scammers are constantly evolving their strategies to steal passwords, and take over computers. The best thing to do is always be weary of strange links posted to your profile or inbox as well as avoid downloading any files that you’re prompted to, no matter what. While many of the scams on Facebook are harmless to your computer, its important to protect yourself against any viruses and worms.
Some Facebook applications have used toolbars among other things to make money from their application. Some of these toolbars will significantly damage your computer. The bottom line is this: be on guard any time you see something suspicious. If you do happen to fall for a scam though, make sure to immediately change your password. If you aren’t able to access your account because you were phished and your password was reset, fill out this form.
Koobface icon via thingamatech
keeps reloading
won’t stay still
Thanks for that
always be *wary* (not weary)
there are more than one typo/misspelled/bad grammar errors in this article. please proofread. Errors make the article look spammy.
Vrey nice post, I have replicated it in my wall for my friends to read it, thank you!!
Great post. Thanks for keeping your eyes open for these scams.
June, Empty your cookie folder, that should help.
Thanks for the information. Good to know.We all need to be very careful.. Thank You.
I am always wary of most facebook applications as I had a long conversation with someone from McCafee at a conference telling me how most viruses are downloaded through facebook quizzes and games. Saying that they are excellent tools for procrastination!
Thanks for highlighting the main villains as I get paranoid thinking they are all evil when many are just clever social media tools
Thanks… And keep us updtaed! I have had some problems with F/B. And, trying to beware of anything that may look different. I Love F/B!!! But, u will “Have” bad people all over doing ugly things.
Thanks for the information! What about the zoo application and SSP?
Thanks for the info. And yes, keep us updated please!
I got scammed money to someone who posed as friend.
Is this a scam? I got a message from a woman in my facebook email. She said she is coming through my town and wondered if I could tell her points of interest in the area. She said she found me by searching people who know my town “XXXX”, MA. Well I tried it and it is true, you can find me easily linked to my town. That’s not my issue though. After writing back to her, even though I sure her picture was not real (looks porn star-ish–but not quite–just over the top sexy)I took another look at her profile. Well She is listed as being a He. What is up with this? I thought it was odd to begin with, and now I find out that it’s a man. What possible angle could there be?
Joanne
Many thanks-not easily attracted to anything unusual on FB,but good to get the info.
I’ve had friend requests from women I don’t know, in both cases the pics were of attractive women yet there profile showed very few friends…something not right about it, that or I’m passing on some good looking friends.
I just had an email from facebook deaf promo telling me i was chosen for a prize of $50,000 us. But i had to send them $500 us in order for them to send me my prize. Just wondering if anyone has had the same thing happen to them?
A friend has “fanned” two pages that look fishy to me, but I don’t want to click through for fear of messing up my own system. One is “This has to be the SADDEST status update ever! I cried when i read it.. =( If you thought this was SAD, Please press the LIKE button,, Thanks” and the other is “HIS IS THE WORST, SICKEST WALL POST EVER IN FACEBOOOOK!!!”. Once you “Fan” the page, it points to another website. Does anyone know what the nature of these sites are?
Melodie, Yes, I received the email message below -
THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMISSION.
Hello,i am XXXXXX XXXXXX.i am the secretary of deaf and hard of hearing commission(DHHC).DHHC is a charity organisation that help deaf and hard of hearing.DHHC is in collaboration with FACEBOOK company by selecting all the email addresses of people that are active online,among the millions that subscribed to FACEBOOK we only select THREE people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying,and your screen name has won you the sum of $100,000.00. we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.to claim your money get back to me on XXXXXXXX@yahoo.com. This is a scam, why would a charity be giving out money….
I hate it when PEOPLE send you a scam, thank you !!
this scam just developped last week.A guy Kiven Williams from london Uk,befriended me for many many weeks we messaged each other ..he said he was a devote christian, widower, raising his only son Tom…he was very encougaring and christian like he played the son to sound cute, worry u with his son taken in hospital….he played on a emotional level and making u feel for him…Parents died in a house fire when he was 8, wife die of a cancer 5 years ago. He present himself as a business man who has to travel once a month leaving his son with a nanny…his desire is to find one day a virtous women…ect.story short…he goes to Ghana on business taking his son… In Ghana he has problem and need to go to Nigeria…he promissed to give new in the next 9 to 10 hous…4 days later he message that he has been embushed rob at gun point …he is severely hurt and tom his son is in a coma for the last X DAYS AND HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO SEE HIM…HE IS IN GREAT PAIN…HE THEN INVITE ME TO GO ON MSN to chat…story short he need 750 US $ and play the lost and hopless..no insurance on visa…no medical travel insurance…I must not call the ambassy ( UK) cuz they will take his son away from him cuz they will not understand why I took the kid with….all emotionnal you feel devastated…he even say that u are the only person who can help him…please I give u back the money ..IF NECCESARY…what…of course it would be a must…so ALERT AS MANY MIDDLE AGE WOMEN THIS GUY IS PROWLING AROUND…
Has anyone had a bad experience from those web designers on facebook? I’ve probably been scammed by one of them- she asked for the money upfront to do a webpage for me- told me she’s supporting her dear elderly parents, blah blah- then after she got the payment, she disappeared. From what the fraud squad told me, sounds like the work of the Nigerian ring.
hi i was asked to give out personal information to obtain 50 thousand dollars and that the ceo of facebook picked my name to be awarded through deafpromo…i know this is a scam, is it?
my cell # is not on my facebook page yet I recieved a msg on my cell from a local cell # saying “poke”…asked ? and got a msg saying it is a facebook thingy and it likes to say hi…anyone come across something like this? my cell # isnt listed anywhere…thinking someone is pranking me and not a scam..not sure
I had a message from a Mazad Adable stating that he has recieved order from a mr Dr.JOHN KOFI to transfer $2000000 usd in 5000 installments to my account on the email it says to contact him on a bt internet email adress and is ’signed’ at the bottom Mr Johnson Chijioke
they state that they need me to contact them to give them tax clearance to do so Is this just a scam?
Maria Fiorenza
I am a victim also and I am sure when I read your story that I am a victim off the same gang. UK - devoted christian - orphanage - wife and children death in a carcrash - I am a smart socially engaded woman and I am really ashamed to walk in the trap of these evil persons.I read a lot off simular stories and I would be very glad if you drop be a message on my facebook. I am pretending since a week that I do not know the truth yet. I lost the 950 dollars, that will be a lesson for the rest of my life, but badder than all the money, I am feeling violated in my innerme. I am living in your country off birth.
watch out for online dating sluts two of them tried to hit me for cash ghana i did not buy in to it im no sucker
I was just sent a message telling me that I was selected by a computer ballot system for an ongoing lottery. I was told I had won 800 000 pounds. but before they could get the courts to process anything, i had to pay for the legal services…
anyway I asked one of their contacts if we could do a deal by him paying the legal proceedings; and when all goes fine i will reimberse the legal fee plus give him 5% of the prize.
I am still waiting for his reply…HAHAH!