What are The Most Common Facebook Scams Around?

Got a Facebook account? Sure you do, if you haven’t then maybe its time to sign up. The most common facebook scamsIts FREE! But be weary, there are some scams doing its rounds on this popular social platform well. Today we will chat about some of the most common Facebook scams around and how they can cause some trouble.

It was on the 4th February 2014, that Facebook was launched. It became an instant success and managed to gain more than 50million users within its first year, becoming the most popular media site.

It therefore comes as no surprise that scammers would try their luck and try to “bait” users. Researchers have actually estimated that around 850 000 scams have been reported regarding this platform and this number is growing.

Let’s get cracking with some of the Facebook scams….

Your Profile Has Been Hijacked

I am sure that at one time or another, you have seen the ads doing the roundsThe Most common Facebook Scams, claiming that you can actually see who has viewed your profile.

Well guess what?

There is NO way at all that this can be done.

According to Graham Cluley, who is a cybercrime expert and blogger, there is no way that you as a user are able to track who has really checked out your facebook profile.

This is actually a ploy to hijack your profile. How?

It’s really simple. When these ads are displayed, and someone clicks on them it leads him to a page where malicious software is downloaded onto your account,giving them access to one’s face book account.

This allows them to pose as you and request friends to join and so the cycle repeats itself.

What else can a scammer do with a hijacked Face Book account?

Well, they can create a scenario whereby you are in trouble. Your friends or family viewing this would naturally become very worried and feel the need to help. This is where the scammers get crafty and start asking for money posing a picture that you are in some kind of financial crisis. Here is a true account of a scenario that took place, Click Here to Read the Full Story

Thinking of Upgrading your Facebook Profile

There is a scam that is going around that claims that there is an app or program that can change the color of your Facebook from its original blue to one of your preferences. Or you could get a “dislike” button placed on your FB profile.The most Common Facebook Scams

Once you sign in to their page, your account is hacked into, and this can be yet another way whereby malicious software can be placed onto your account. You could even end up, paying some hefty bills, monthly, thereafter.

According to USA TODAY, no such program or app actually exists that allows one to change the way people may view your facebook page.

This will only lead you into signing up for “unwanted ” SMS subscriptions which  can become an ongoing headache!

Free GiveAways

As you would have come to know by now, there are lots of ads of FREE giveaways,The most common facebook scams from devices such as “factory sealed,”  iPads, cell phones, to Disney related prizes or even a luxury vehicle.

Whilst it would be nice to be the recipient of one of these giveaways, first ask yourself, “Why would someone give you something for nothing?”

Sometimes the scammers may get a little creative and use a picture of Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg himself, announcing that you are the winner of the prize.

Two things can happen here by clicking on the ads

  1. You will be lead to complete further “special” or “rewards” bonus offers which inevitably may cost you some money, to so call, qualify. They may also request an advanced fee for you to claim your reward(which never ever comes!),  or
  2. Your name will be added onto the scammers followers list which he or she may sell for spamming or other marketing agendas.

Fake Viral Videos on Facebook

There are tons of videos that stand out from the norm when viewing posts on Facebook pages

These may includeThe most common Facebook Scams

  • Explicit videos
  • “shocking” celebrity tapes
  • Extreme Religious Videos
  • Videos of women getting beaten up,

Clicking of these links will prompt the user to upgrade their video player. Whilst one decides to do this, he or she unknowingly may be downloading malware or spyware onto their device.

Scare Tactics

I have chatted about Fake Tech Support scams previously, whereby the scammers call to inform you that your computer is at risk, whilst there may NOT be anything wrong in the first place!

In a panic, you believe them, thinking that they are from a reputable organisation and before you know it you are a victim of a phishing or malware scam.

Same story here with Facebook, however there have been reports of people falling victims by bogus e-mails sent to them from the “official Facebook” guys.

Some tips on what to watch OUT for in these scam emails,

  1. Check that the e-mail is addressed to you and not as “Sir” or “Madam.” Also make sure that the sender is from facebook, officially it would read something to the effect of “something@facebook.com.” and NOT a private addressee.The Most Common Facebook Scams

2. The e-mail should NOT be blank. Just having a warning within the subject line is not enough. The e-mail should have some content.

3. There should be NO grammatical errors.

4. The link should read,” https:// www.facebook.com

How do I Avoid some of these common Facebook Scams?

Recently, a friend of mine posted something on his Facebook page and I would like to share it with you. The most common facebook ScamsWhen its a post from one of your friends its hard to classify it as a hoax, as the content seems so true. However, this is indeed a hoax. This is spreading news from one friend to the next with a message that is simply not true.

The only way we can control this and other FB scams is to take control over your own Privacy setting and Manage the privacy of the posts.

Be Vigilant, and don’t let your emotions creep in when you see ads for FREE Supermarket vouchers  and Giveaways. Sometimes you may think that there is no harm in completing the advertised Surveys or Quizzes, but it could be THE one to extract your username and password. Always verify the information and double check with other sites before going ahead.

 Learn some More Tips on How to Avoid Online Scams ⇐

or

If travelling, Learn How to Recognize Phishing Scams when Booking for your Travel or Flights⇐

Conclusion

Hope that this article regarding some of the most common Facebook scams has helped you. Do keep safe when facebooking and Have Fun!!

Speaking of FUN, I would like to leave you with some amazing and interesting facts about Facebook. Enjoy

  • There are more than 600 000 hacking attempts of Facebook profiles taking place on a Daily basisThe most Common Facebook scams
  • More than 900 Million hours a day are spent just playing games on this social network
  • It is estimated that the average user checks his phone up to 14 Times a day!
  • 64% of Facebook users visit the site on  a daily basis

 

 

 

Thanks Folks for Your Time. You ALL have been super wonderful! Any comments, views or thoughts, just use the comment box and I will get back to you.

All the best.

Roopesh

 

 

6 thoughts on “What are The Most Common Facebook Scams Around?”

  1. Thanks for the info!

    I think it’s sad that so many people want to take advantage of others. All this scam stuff makes it harder for legitimate businesses to survive.

    I’m grateful for your help, and I’m going to check my security settings today because of it. Technology has so much to offer, and I think people should try to help each other.

    So, thank you for being one of the helpers. Dave

    Reply
    • Hello Dave

      You are most welcome. Yes, this certainly does make it hard to distinguish the ‘good apples’ from the ‘bad ones.’

      This is one of the reasons why I created this site, not only to show people that there are legitimate ways to earning a passive income online, but also to avoid the stumbling blocks that may come in the way. One of them been the online scams that are so rife all over the internet.

      Glad this helped you.

      Have safe Face booking.

      Roopesh

      Reply
  2. Great post!
    I remember a virus being sent around on Facebook that would act as a link. Every time someone clicked on it, that person would have his/her fb acc affected with a virus of some sort and your profile would just start to post random nasty photos non-stop and you had no way of conrolling it other than deleting your account.

    Anyway I like these kind of pages that inform people of the dangers such as these scams. Keep it up!

    Reply
    • Hi Johann

      That is very possible for a virus of that nature to infect the accounts of Facebook users.It just goes to show that these people will do anything to be malicious and spammy.

      Thanks for the compliment.

      Will definitely continue forward with it.

      All the best to you.

      Regards

      Roopes

      Reply
  3. Reading this made me realise how many of my friends list fall for these scams. The ‘see your unfollowers’ one might stem from the fact a few years ago you could legitimately find your unfriends but I think it was a loophole that closed in about 2007. I’ve had to block one friend from my timeline as I think they used to post every urban legend or scam going and I got fed up of telling her they were not true. Each time she would go ‘oops I thought it was real’ – people just seem to share stuff without checking facts first.

    Reply
    • Hello Evie

      Its sad but this is the reality these days. Often at times, I really can’t blame the folks for posting as they initially look like genuine deals. This is why as you mentioned its important to do your research.

      I try as far as possible to expose these scams where I can and try to give a heads to visitors to look for some common traits on avoiding these online scams.

      Thanks and do be careful.

      Regards

      Roopesh

      Reply

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