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Facebook scam : Crazy Facebook scams- A Facebook scam which claims that “Facebook will start charging this summer” is doing the round on Facebook. Facebook fraudsters have gone to great lengths to trick unwitting social network users from the latest membership fee scam, Facebook charging scam, to a recent ruse that cost one victim, Edythe Schumacher, big bucks. We scanned news feeds for some of the most creative cons.
After chatting with her sister on Facebook, 58-year-old Edythe Schumacher was convinced to apply for a shoo in government grant that would pay big dividends. Edythe Schumacher + lost $2,000, He informed me I need to Western Union $2,000 to acquire the grant, advance-fee loan scam
Edythe Schumacher logged onto the social networking site recently and a picture of her sister popped up immediately, inviting her into a Facebook chat. After a bit of small talk, Schumacher's sister - Susan Palmer - egged her on to apply for a government grant, saying she'd just received one. For an up-front fee of $2,000, Schumacher was assured, she'd get access to up to $500,000.
Schumacher trusted her sister - and lost $2,000.
Apparently, Facebook impersonation scams have reached a new level of duplicity. Palmer's account had been hacked, Schumacher says, by an impersonator skilled enough to pretend to be her own flesh and blood. The fake Palmer eventually talked Schumacher into wiring $2,000 to an address in Massachusetts.
"Turns out I was not chatting at all with my sister," Schumacher told authorities, according to a report filed with the Ohio state attorney general's office. "I would never have sent the money if I didn't think it was my sister."
Facebook account hijacking has been around as long as Facebook itself. While it often amounts to little more than childish pranks, the theft of someone's identity on Facebook can lead to real harm. Imposters have successfully tricked victims into wiring money before - a common scam involves contacting friends and writing an email with dramatic claims of muggings, accompanied by desperate pleas to wire money. See this earlier report.
Schumacher trusted her sister - and lost $2,000.
Apparently, Facebook impersonation scams have reached a new level of duplicity. Palmer's account had been hacked, Schumacher says, by an impersonator skilled enough to pretend to be her own flesh and blood. The fake Palmer eventually talked Schumacher into wiring $2,000 to an address in Massachusetts.
"Turns out I was not chatting at all with my sister," Schumacher told authorities, according to a report filed with the Ohio state attorney general's office. "I would never have sent the money if I didn't think it was my sister."
Facebook account hijacking has been around as long as Facebook itself. While it often amounts to little more than childish pranks, the theft of someone's identity on Facebook can lead to real harm. Imposters have successfully tricked victims into wiring money before - a common scam involves contacting friends and writing an email with dramatic claims of muggings, accompanied by desperate pleas to wire money. See this earlier report.
Facebook scam : 'Lady Gaga Is Dead' scam
Facebook scam : 'Lady Gaga Is Dead' scam
In September, Facebook posts began to spread word that Lady Gaga was found dead in a hotel room. The posts claimed to link to a reputable news source, BBC News + Lady Gaga scam. and prompted viewers to "like" the link. Facebook scammers + commission for clicks, Facebook scam + Lady Gaga is a man, Charlie Sheen is dead scam.
Lady Gaga’s celebrity name is once again being used to spread Facebook scams and malware. This time, the claim is she has died.
Facebook scammers are once again exploiting ignorant victims with celebrity obsessions by using sensational headlines. Lady Gaga is the target; it’s not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.
This version says something along the lines of “BREAKING: Lady Gaga Found Dead in Hotel Room :( mjide35w” followed by a link claiming to link to a BBC News report. It also has the following description, according to Sophos: “This is the most awful day in US history.”
Just like the previous “likejacking” scams (a play on the term clickjacking, which means prompting a victim to click something while a different action is taken behind the scenes) any of the above will lead you to a rogue Facebook Page or webpage. The page, which is posing as a BBC News webpage, attempts to trick you into clicking on what appears to be a video thumbnail.
The fake video player window is overlayed with a hidden iframe; actually clicking on it anywhere will also submit a Facebook Like and spread the post to your Facebook page. You may think you’ll eventually get to see a video, but you won’t.
The scammers’ goal is to drive more traffic towards certain sites. This is how the scammer earns his or her money: a commission for every survey completed, every product purchased, and/or every account compromised. They also use them to spread malware and obtain personal information.
As I’ve recommended before, if you see a scam like this one, report it. Then go check your own Wall to make sure you’re not spreading the scam; the sooner you clean it up and unlike the page, the better. You can even contact Facebook Security if you’d like to. Some security suites as well as the Firefox add-on NoScript will prevent the likejacking from taking place.
Lady Gaga’s celebrity name is once again being used to spread Facebook scams and malware. This time, the claim is she has died.
Facebook scammers are once again exploiting ignorant victims with celebrity obsessions by using sensational headlines. Lady Gaga is the target; it’s not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.
This version says something along the lines of “BREAKING: Lady Gaga Found Dead in Hotel Room :( mjide35w” followed by a link claiming to link to a BBC News report. It also has the following description, according to Sophos: “This is the most awful day in US history.”
Just like the previous “likejacking” scams (a play on the term clickjacking, which means prompting a victim to click something while a different action is taken behind the scenes) any of the above will lead you to a rogue Facebook Page or webpage. The page, which is posing as a BBC News webpage, attempts to trick you into clicking on what appears to be a video thumbnail.
The fake video player window is overlayed with a hidden iframe; actually clicking on it anywhere will also submit a Facebook Like and spread the post to your Facebook page. You may think you’ll eventually get to see a video, but you won’t.
The scammers’ goal is to drive more traffic towards certain sites. This is how the scammer earns his or her money: a commission for every survey completed, every product purchased, and/or every account compromised. They also use them to spread malware and obtain personal information.
As I’ve recommended before, if you see a scam like this one, report it. Then go check your own Wall to make sure you’re not spreading the scam; the sooner you clean it up and unlike the page, the better. You can even contact Facebook Security if you’d like to. Some security suites as well as the Firefox add-on NoScript will prevent the likejacking from taking place.
Facebook scam : 'Tsunami Whale' scam
Facebook scam : 'Tsunami Whale' scam
Taking advantage of the world's fixation on the March 2011 Japan tsunami that hit Japan, scammers promised video footage of a wave slamming a whale into the side of a building. Tsunami Whale + likejacking scam, Likejacking scams, FouTube + likejacking scams, FbVideo + YoTube + scams
Facebook scam : 'Ikea Gift Card' scam
Facebook scam : 'Ikea Gift Card' scam
In early 2010, Facebook members around the world signed up to win a $1,000 Ikea gift card being publicized on the site. They traded personal information for a chance at a sweepstakes that never was. Ikea gift card scam + nearly 40,000 victims, Whole Foods gift card scam, Facebook scams + identity theft,
Facebook scam : 'Spider Under the Skin' scam
Facebook scam : 'Spider Under the Skin' scam
Fans of gross-out footage were tempted to click on a Facebook link with OMG -style video of a massive spider growing under a woman's skin. Facebook spider scam + message shared with all your friends, delete likejacking posts from your News Feed, origin of spiders growing under skin myth, Wheelchair Down The Elevator Shaft Scam
Facebook scam : 'War Hero' scam
Facebook scam : 'War Hero' scam
A New Yorker, going by the name "Dylan Sorvino," wooed women across the country using the photo of a fallen U.S. Army Ranger in place of his own image. U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. Roberto Sanchez, Dylan Sorvino + no financial losses resulted from the fraud, Dylan Sorvino + removed Facebook profile,
Facebook scam : 'Olive Garden Photo Tagging' scam
Facebook scam : 'Olive Garden Photo Tagging' scam
Hackers created photo albums of Olive Garden entrées and tagged the photos with the names of Facebook users' actual friends, enticing users to join them for a free Italian meal. Olive Garden hackers + “allow” them access to your Facebook page, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Game photo Facebook scam, beware third-party Facebook applications
