Spam Message:
Remove My Timeline
Scam Type: Rogue Application, Rogue Browser Extension
Trending: May 2012
Why it’s a Scam:
Clicking the wall post link takes you to the following page:
There are a couple of issues we have with this page. The biggest one is the outright lie that this is “the only truly working solution approved by facebook community! “
The second issue we have is the use of the Facebook application to make users think installing the app will remove Timeline. It is a questionable marketing gimmick at best.
There is no official working solution approved by the Facebook community. This is obviously a ploy to gain users trusts and make them feel better about proceeding with the download.
There are quite a few browser extensions that modify the Facebook layout. None actually remove Timeline – they only change the way Facebook appears to you. Remove Timeline scams are really nothing new and have been around since Timeline itself. For more information on our previous coverage see:
Beware of ‘Remove Facebook Timeline’ Scams
Clicking the ‘Remove My Timeline’ button shown above will cause the following browser extension to install:
We decided to stop here, and we recommend that you do the same. We didn’t examine the browser extension, so we can’t say for certain if it is a legitimate browser extension that modifies your Facebook layout, or if it is packing malware. The marketing tactics alone are reason enough to stay away in our opinion.
How to Deal with the Scam:
If you did make the mistake of installing the browser extension, then see the following guide to learn how to remove it from your system:
How to protect your Facebook account from Rogue Browser Extensions
The Facebook message is not spreading by using the application installed, so the browser extension could contain code that spreads the very same message you clicked on to your friends. If that is the case, then you will need to remove that status update from your profile and notify your friends about the spam.
If you or your Facebook friends are falling for tricks like this, it’s time to get yourself informed of the latest threats. Be sure to join the Facecrooks page on Facebook to be kept informed of the latest security issues.
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