The Latest in IT Security

Take the Facebook Privacy Survey – Bogus Offer & Survey Scam

02
Jul
2011

Scam Signature Message

Take the Facebook Privacy Survey
cdn.GiftSurveyRewards.com
Get A Free Gift of Your Choice Now!

privacy_survey_wall

Trending: June 2011

Scam Type: Survey Scam, Bogus Offer

Why it’s a Scam:

Clicking on the wall post takes you to the following page: 

privacy_survey_main

The short survey is actually a ruse. After the question survey, you are asked select your prize, and share the scammer’s message on your wall. This is how the scam is spreading on Facebook. 

If you read the fine, you must complete several “reward offers.” Not only is this a ridiculous hoop to jump through, and will cost you a lot of money in the end, but the scammers are acquiring a treasure trove of your personal data. You will be required to provide your name, address, phone numbers and date of birth. This will enable the shady marketers to not only spam your Facebook account, but also harass you via snail mail, phone calls and text messages.   

How to Deal with the Scam:

If you did make the mistake of sharing the bogus message on your Facebook wall, you are now spamming your friends with the scammer’s message. You should clean-up your newsfeed and profile to remove references to the scam. (click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the post).

The level of damage control required will largely depend on how many “special offers” you participated in. If you submitted your name, address, email, etc., then be on the lookout for more bogus offers arriving in your email and regular mail. Also be on alert for identity theft attempts.

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.  Also check out:

Your Ultimate Guide to Facebook Scams and How to Deal with Them

How to spot a Facebook Survey Scam

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams like this.

Leave a reply


Categories

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2024
WHITE PAPERS

Mission-Critical Broadband – Why Governments Should Partner with Commercial Operators:
Many governments embrace mobile network operator (MNO) networks as ...

ARA at Scale: How to Choose a Solution That Grows With Your Needs:
Application release automation (ARA) tools enable best practices in...

The Multi-Model Database:
Part of the “new normal” where data and cloud applications are ...

Featured

Archives

Latest Comments