SophosLabs wrote: Do you want to know the total number of times that your Facebook wall has been viewed? Are you curious as to who may be stalking you on Facebook?
If so, you’re a prime candidate for scammers who are exploiting that desire to put money into their own pockets.
Here are the latest messages spreading virally between thousands of Facebook users who have fallen for the scam:
Different incarnations of the scam use slightly different wording, and dream up different numbers for the boys and girls who are said to have looked at your Facebook wall:
SHOCKING! My Facebook wall has been seen 1981 times.
Boy views: 1169.
Girl views: 812.
Check yours @: [LINK]WOW! My Facebook wall has been seen 2306 times.
Boy views: 1568.
Girl views: 738.
Check yours @: [LINK]SHOCKING! My Facebook wall has been viewed 1326 times.
Boy views: 610.
Girl views: 716.
Check yours @: [LINK]AMAZING! My Facebook wall has been viewed 2410 times.
Boy views: 819.
Girl views: 1591.
Check yours @: [LINK]
When you see one of your Facebook friends post a message like the above, chances are that you might be tempted to try it out for yourself. So what does happen if you click on one of those links?
Well, the first thing you see is a standard Facebook application request dialog – requesting your permission to grant a third-party app access to your Facebook profile. If you give it permission, then it will be able to peruse your Facebook page and post messages in your name.
The scammers have created a variety of different rogue applications that they are using in this particular scam. Facebook, sadly, doesn’t adequately verify the people who create apps so you’re playing Russian Roulette when you allow a complete stranger this level of access to your Facebook page.
Of course, you want to know how many boys or girls are checking out your Facebook – so you’re likely just to grant the rogue application permission to your Facebook page.
Big mistake. You should have clicked on “Don’t allow” instead.
The next thing you know, you are taken to a page which looks like it has lots of information about who has been viewing your Facebook wall.
But do you notice that all the information about who has been stalking you on Facebook is “locked” away? The page is asking you to complete a “30 second” security check to “prove you are human” in the form of an online survey. The implication is that you’ll find out who has been viewing your Facebook profile, once you have completed the online test.
What the scammers don’t tell you is that they earn commission for each survey completed. Furthermore, they have already exploited your own Facebook page to post out a message to your friends, inviting them to also find out how many times their Facebook wall has been viewed. In this way the revenue-generating survey scam spreads virally.
And do you ever discover who has been viewing your Facebook wall? I’m afraid not. But you have made some money for the scammers, and helped them with their nefarious scheme.
If you’ve been affected by this scam, you should clean up your account before any further damage is done.
Make sure that you stay informed about the latest scams spreading fast across Facebook and other internet attacks. Join the Omid’s Network Facebook page.