Thousands of Facebook users have been hit by a scam which claims to give them early access to a facebook.com email address.
Messages, appearing in the news feed of users who have fallen for the scam, read:
Just got my own email @facebook.com! Quickly get one before someone takes your name [LINK]
However, clicking on the links leads you to a webpage which tricks you into giving a third party application permission to post to your Facebook wall.
Don’t, whatever you do, allow the app to have permission to access your profile. Because then it will start to spread the messages even further, starting with your online Facebook friends.
You won’t realize it’s doing that, of course, until it’s too late – as you’re too distracted by the form asking you for your email details.. oh, and the revenue-generating online survey that the scammers have put up in the front of it..
Note, these scam messages are not connected with Facebook’s genuine plans to give everyone a @facebook.com public email address. Facebook expects to roll out that service more widely in the coming months, and will use your “publicusername” when live.