Saturday, February 5, 2011

Don't be a scammers tool. Spamming your friends is not cool.



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It's simple, If you make the mistake of believing any of the messages you see below and follow through by clicking any of the links within these messages, you will be redirected through an elaborate ruse.  This ruse filled with rogue application drop pages, request for permission screens, make pretend content and fake human verification processes, has been designed by a scam artist to screw you over. If you participate in the scammers games, you will be use as a tool to spam your facebook friends and led down a dark tunnel which ends in the scam artist making off with a quick buck for your lack of knowledge and apparent naivety.

The messages you see below may appear in your News Feed. They may look as if they have been directly posted by one of your facebook friends, but the truth is the friend is more than likely unaware this type off message has been posted and is currently being viewed by their friends. Unfortunately they have chosen to fall blindly into the scammers ruse and have unwittingly become the scammers new spam tool.

Don't be a fool. 
All messages or post claiming the following things are scams and classified as facebook spam.
  1. Messages claiming to show your profile stalkers.
  2. Messages claiming to show your profile creepers
  3. Messages claiming to show your profile peekers.
  4. Messages claiming to show your profile spies.
  5. Messages claiming to show your total profile views.
  6. Messages claiming to show you the total time you spent on facebook.
  7. Messages claiming to show how addicted to facebook you are..
  8. Messages claiming to show who deleted or blocked you.
  9. Messages claiming facebook is closing.
  10. Messages claiming that Mark Zuckerberg announced account deletion due to non-verification..
  11. Messages claiming facebook is overpopulated.
  12. Messages claiming you need to activate, re-activate or confirm your facebook account.
  13. Messages claiming to show how you will look in 20 years.
  14. Messages claiming to give you free game currency or facebook credits.
  15. Messages claiming to give you a paid for game item for free.
  16. Messages claiming to give you free makeup, airline tickets, iPhones, iPods or iPads.
  17. Messages claiming to give you any expensive item for free or for being a tester.
  18. Messages claiming to show you a shocking video (celebrity or other), photo or facebook status..
  19. Messages with the term OMG!! right up front. 
  20. Messages with any of the aforementioned subjects, accompanied by a link.
Be Wise: Take a "Dontclickitol" and think before you click

Below are some current samples of the spam/scam post made to facebook Right Now (03-05-2011). You may see these pop up in your news feed. Remember, Don't Fall For The Ruse. ;)

 















Helpful Information:


Play Hard! Stay Safe! Don't Fall Into The Free Lunch Trap!
Don't Get Caught In The Trap. Learn how to spot fake.




Survey Scam: You've got 7 hours to claim your free facebook credits.



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The Scam:
55 FREE CREDITS
ONLY FOR THE NEXT 7 HOURS
+ Link

Scam Type: Rogue App, Free Facebook Credits Offer, Survey Scam

Block App Links -
( You can use the Block App links to block the facebook app from your profile. )

Rogue App URL - http://apps.facebook.com/freecreditsnowq/
Block App - FREE CREDITS NOW!!!

Rogue App URL - http://apps.facebook.com/get___bonus/
Block App - Get Bonus

Rogue App URL - http://apps.facebook.com/firieecreditsnow/
Block App - FREE CREDITS :-)

Facebook Users: If you see a friend post a message in your news feed like the one below, Do not fall for it. Do not click on any of the links in the message. See Example.

Example 1 ( Bogus 55 Free Facebook Credits Offer Scam Post)- Click to Enlarge

If you make the mistake of believing this message and click any of the links, you will be redirected to a facebook application drop page. The drop page claims that you have been given 55 facebook credits and that all you need to do to claim these free credits is click on the "Continue" button.. This is a false claim. You will not receive any facebook credits by following the steps on the page. Once you click continue you will be asked to install one of 3 or more rogue apps on your facebook profile. These apps will do nothing more then spam your facebook friends with the same bogus message shown in the example above. Below you can see examples of application drop page and the application request for permission screen.

Example 2 ( Bogus 55 Free Facebook Credits Offer Drop Page)- Click to Enlarge

Example 3 ( Bogus 55 Free Facebook Credits Offer App Install)- Click to Enlarge

As we can see above, the "Application Request For Permission" screen for "Free Credits Now!!" prompts users to give it a particular set of permission. With this set of "Permissions" it will be able to do the following:
  1. Access to your basic profile information and (Anything ) you have set viewable to (Everyone).
  2. Give it the ability to post ( Anything ) to your wall without asking.
  3. Plus the ability to do all of the aforementioned things even when you are not using the app.
The important thing here is that you stop and look at these application screens. You should not blindly install applications to your facebook profile. This application is requesting all of these permissions because once you click allow, the app will spam the same message you clicked on, to your wall and your friends news feeds, without your knowledge. See the example post made by this app, during this test..


Example 4 ( Bogus 55 Free Facebook Credits Offer Spam Post)- Click to Enlarge


While your friends see the above messages pop up in their news feeds, (Spamming Them), you are shown  that you must do a short survey to complete the final step in this scam. This is nothing more than a ploy to get you to download a product or do a Survey for which a scammer will be paid. This is not a legitimate offer for receiving facebook credits. It is advised that if you see this scam posted in your feed, do not click any of the links. See examples.

Example 5 ( Bogus 55 Free Facebook Credits Offer Survey Scam Process)- Click to Enlarge

Question:
Can I get free facebook credits?

Answer:
You should never expect to receive facebook Credits, unless you buy them from facebook. Always use extreme caution when offered "Free Facebook Credits". Do not under any circumstances click links or give out personal information for any free credit offers without first inspecting the source of the offer. Very few facebook pages, facebook apps or external websites offer real opportunities to earn free facebook credits. These Rare opportunities will always come from a legit well known sources like: Facebook, Facebook's partner sites or Major retailers and you will also be able to confirm the legitimacy of the offer by the method it is delivered.

You can learn more about FB Credits at the links below: 
Free Facebook Credits
http://www.facebook.com/ScamSniper?sk=app_4949752878

Facebook Credits
http://www.facebook.com/FacebookCredits?v=wall

It is important that you never hand over any personal information, such as: email addresses, cell number, name, home address or credit card numbers, to these types of scams. If you do, you are simply setting yourself up to be spammed or worst. Identity theft is big business and handing over some of the info these bogus surveys ask for, will make you a victim of that business. If you have made the mistake of handing over a credit card number, you should call your bank or credit provider as soon as possible to have them remove or dispute the charges that have or maybe made to the card. If you've given your cell number to any of these types of Scams, it is important that you call your cell carrier ASAP to have any charges you may receive stopped. If you begin to receive unsolicited phone calls, you should take note of the calls, record names and numbers, then report the calls to the FCC or other proper authorities..

Read here to learn how to avoid these types of scams on facebook.

Facebook Spam
http://scamsniper.blogspot.com/p/facebook-spam.html

Damage Control ( For those who have fell victim. )
If you have fell victim to any of these scams, you need to clean up your facebook profile immediately by removing the posts they made to your wall and then removing plus blocking the rogue application that you may have install to your facebook. If you've downloaded and installed any programs to your computer, it is advised that you run a full virus scan immediately. At the link provide below you will find helpful information to assist in these task, if you are not sure what to do..

Stay Virus Free
http://scamsniper.blogspot.com/p/staying-virus-free.html




Friday, February 4, 2011

Unsolicited emails appearing to come from UPS contain malware.



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Researchers from Sophos are again warning PC users to be on the look out for more unsolicited fake parcel delivery notifications. This time cyber-criminals are using a UPS package as the bait.

The emails purport to be from "United Parcel Service" and claims that the intended victim should expect the arrival of a parcel within 3 days. The email then encourages the intended victim to open an attached Zip file to obtain a more information about the package and it's tracking number. The email contains no text, but instead it displays a rather professional looking picture. This may fool quite a lot of people into opening the attachment. See Example.

Example Email (Click to Enlarge) Property Of Sophos

If a you fall for the ploy and open the attachment, "USPS_Document.zip", on a Windows based computer, you will infect your PC with malware.

Full report available here:
Outbreak: United Parcel Service notification malware attack spammed out

Advice:
If you receive such an email in your inbox, report the email as spam then delete it. Always be sure to have a fully up to date and working Anti-virus solution on your PC to avoid infection form these types of malicious unsolicited emails.

Related: 01-01-2011
Unsolicited emails from Post Express Service contain malware.


FarmVille Hoax: Blonde Avatar with Purple Overalls causes you to lose your gifts.



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FarmVille Players: You may see some of your friends posting one of the 2 message below as their status.

-----Example Message Type 1-----
ATTENTION FV-NEIGHBORS...IF YOU SEE A BLOND AVATAR ON YOUR FARM WITH PURPLE OVERALLS AND WITHOUT ANY NAME, DON'T CLICK ON IT!! JUST LEAVE IT THERE. WHEN YOU CLICK ON IT, YOU WILL LOOSE ALL YOUR GIFTS FROM YOUR GIFT BOX...IT'S A HACK!! SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS‌
-----Example Message Type 1 End-----

----Example Message Type 2-----
ATTENTION FV-NEIGHBORS...IF YOU SEE A BLONDE AVATAR ON YOUR FARM W/ PURPLE OVERALL AND W/O ANY NAME, DON'T CLICK ON IT!! JUST LEAVE IT THERE. When you click on it you will loose all your gifts in your gift box... IT'S A HACK!! SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS‌
-----Example Message Type 2 End-----

These messages above are part of a hoax and should not be reposted. 

Here Is The Truth:
Farmville experienced a glitch on 02-02-2011 which seems to affect farmers who dressed their farmers in the Valentine’s Day Pink Rabbit costume or Cupid I and II costumes. Farmers were loading their farms to find that their avatar is no longer wearing the costume they purchased and instead had turned into a blond farmer wearing a tiara, glasses, and purple overalls. Farmers affected by this glitch may also have experienced not being able to find the costumes in question, in their clothing inventory when they tried to change their Avatar back. This glitch did not effect anyone's Gift Box and was fixed by Zynga that night. Also Noted: Thatsnonsense.com has stated that the messages of the particular hoax above resemble a hoax which was spread around facebook back in 2010. They label it as a rumor and that the glitch has nothing to do with a hack or hackers at all.

More Info
FarmVille Farmer Avatar Change & Missing Valentine’s Day Costume with Updates

Farmville Blonde Avatar with Purple Overalls


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Scam: In 2 minutes get 450 facebook credits free .



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The Scam:
I just found a legit page that gives 450 Facebook Credits free ,for just 2 minutes , it's here , check it :
+ Link

Scam Type: False Free Facebook Credits Offer

Facebook Users: If you see a friend post a message in your news feed like the one below, Do not fall for itDo not click on any of the links in the message. See Example.


Example

If you make the mistake of believing this message and click any of the links, you will be redirect to an external website with the following address: fbcredits450.blogspot.com. The poorly written site claims that you can receive 450 credits by simply following the steps given. This is a false claim. You will not receive any facebook credits by following the steps on the page. You will however spam your facebook friends with the same bogus message shown in the example above. Below you can see examples of this bogus website.

Example 1 ( Bogus 450 Facebook Credits Offer Website)- Click to Enlarge

Example 2 ( Bogus 450 Facebook Credits Offer Website)- Click to Enlarge


Question:
Can I get free facebook credits?

Answer:
NO & Yes. You should never expect to receive facebook Credits, unless you buy them from facebook. I feel it's better to tell everyone not to expect free credits at all and to always use extreme caution when offered "Free Credits". Do not under any circumstances click links or give out personal information for any free credit offers without first inspecting the source of the offer. If an opportunity to receive some "free" credits peeks it's head up from a legit well known source, you will be able to confirm it first, by the method it's delivered. Eg: If you receive an "In Game or App" prompt, from a well known game or app developer, to do an activity for free credits, it would be more that likely legit. Where as If you find something in your feed, posted randomly by a friend, like the above message example, it's more than likely not legit, and you should ask the friend first before you act. There are a few legit "free" credit offers available and the best place to learn about those offers is listed below.

You can learn more about FB Credits Here: 
Facebook Credits
http://www.facebook.com/FacebookCredits?v=wall

It is important that you never hand over any personal information, such as: email addresses, cell number, name, home address or credit card numbers, to these types of scams. If you do, you are simply setting yourself up to be spammed or worst. Identity theft is big business and handing over some of the info these bogus surveys ask for, will make you a victim of that business. If you have made the mistake of handing over a credit card number, you should call your bank or credit provider as soon as possible to have them remove or dispute the charges that have or maybe made to the card. If you've given your cell number to any of these types of Scams, it is important that you call your cell carrier ASAP to have any charges you may receive stopped. If you begin to receive unsolicited phone calls, you should take note of the calls, record names and numbers, then report the calls to the FCC or other proper authorities..

Read here to learn how to avoid these types of scams on facebook.

Facebook Spam

Damage Control For those who have fell victim. )
If you have fell victim to any of these scams, you need to clean up your facebook profile immediately by removing the posts they made to your wall and then removing plus blocking the rogue application that you may have install to your facebook. If you've downloaded and installed any programs to your computer, it is advised that you run a full virus scan immediately. At the link provide below you will find helpful information to assist in these task, if you are not sure what to do..

Stay Virus Free

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Unsolicited emails from Post Express Service contain malware.



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Researchers from Sophos are warning PC users to be on the look out for the latest "undelivered package" spam being sent out by cyber-criminals.

The emails purport to be from "Post Express Service" and claims that the intended victim had a package returned to their office due to an error in delivery. The email then encourages the intended victim to open an attached Zip file to obtain a mailing label needed to pick up the returned package. See Example.

Example Email (Click to Enlarge) Property Of Sophos

If a you fall for the ploy and open the attachment on a Windows based computer, you will infect your PC with malware.

Full report available here:
Outbreak: Post Express Service malware attack spammed out

Advice:
If you receive such an email in your inbox, report the email as spam then delete it. Always be sure to have a fully up to date and working Anti-virus solution on your PC to avoid infection form these types of malicious unsolicited emails.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Survey Scam: You must Reactivate your account due to facebook security updates.



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The Scam:
Facebook Update: In order to keep your profile on facebook you must Reactivate it! 1.5 Million Accouns Has Been Hacked and we Increase our Security System. + Link

Scam Type: Rogue App, Survey Scam, False Account Reactivation

Block App Links - ( You can use the Block App links to block the facebook app from your profile. )

http://apps.facebook.com/reactivate-fb/
Block App - Reactivate Account! Security Update
http://www.facebook.com/apps/block.php?id=122867617787166&action=block&source=about

http://apps.facebook.com/accountveriffication/
Block App - Verify Account! Security Update
http://www.facebook.com/apps/block.php?id=106847862724623&action=block&source=about

http://apps.facebook.com/veriffyaccount/
Block App - Verification Required! Reactivate Account Now
http://www.facebook.com/apps/block.php?id=169200963126869&action=block&source=about

Facebook User: If you see a friend post a message in your news feed like the one below, Do not fall for itDo not click on any of the links in the messages. See Example.


Example

The above post was not made by your friend. It was made by one of the rogue applications named "Above", which the friend installed believing they needed reactivate their facebook account due to facebook security upgrades.. This post is designed to look very convincing to those who may not know any better.  As you can see the scam artist who created this app even used the Facebook Security Logo as the rogue application's icon. Facebook does not contact you in this way or any other way to reactivate your account. The rogue app the friend was tricked into installing, used the permission granted to make this post on the friends behalf. Please see the example of the rogue application permission screen the friend saw after clicking the link in the post.

Example (Application Request For Permission) - Click to Enlarge

As we can see above, the "Application Request For Permission" screen for "Reactivate Account! Security Update" prompts users to give it a particular set of permission. With this set of "Permissions" it will be able to do the following:
  1. Access to your basic profile information and (Anything ) you have set viewable to (Everyone).
  2. Give it the ability to post ( Anything ) to your wall without asking.
  3. Give it the ability to post ( Anything ) to any facebook Fan Page you Administrate.
  4. Plus the ability to do all of the aforementioned things even when you are not using the app.
The important thing here is that you stop and look at these application screens. You should not blindly install applications to your facebook profile. This application is requesting all of these permissions because once you click allow, the app will spam the same message you clicked on, to your wall and your friends news feeds, without your knowledge. See the example post made by this app, during this test..

Example ( Spammed to wall once App is installed)

While your friends see the above messages pop up in their news feeds, (Spamming Them), you are shown  that you must do a short survey to Verify Your Account. These are nothing more ploys to get you to download a product or do a Survey for which a scammer will be paid. This is not a legitimate facebook process for account verification and for the record you should never click on anything in your news feed, on your wall, in your chat, in a facebook message or in any email which urges you to reactivate or verify your facebook account. Facebook does not contact you by any of those methods to verify your account.. It is advised that if you see this scam posted in your feed, do not click any of the links. See example.

Example ( Fake process to "Verify Your Account" . Survey Scam )

It is important that you never hand over any personal information, such as: email addresses, cell number, name, home address or credit card numbers, to these types of scams. If you do, you are simply setting yourself up to be spammed or worst. Identity theft is big business and handing over some of the info these bogus surveys ask for, will make you a victim of that business. If you have made the mistake of handing over a credit card number, you should call your bank or credit provider as soon as possible to have them remove or dispute the charges that have or maybe made to the card. If you've given your cell number to any of these types of Scams, it is important that you call your cell carrier ASAP to have any charges you may receive stopped. If you begin to receive unsolicited phone calls, you should take note of the calls, record names and numbers, then report the calls to the FCC or other proper authorities..

Read here to learn how to avoid these types of scams on facebook.

Facebook Spam

Damage Control For those who have fell victim. )
If you have fell victim to any of these scams, you need to clean up your facebook profile immediately by removing the posts they made to your wall and then removing plus blocking the rogue application that you may have install to your facebook. If you've downloaded and installed any programs to your computer, it is advised that you run a full virus scan immediately. At the link provide below you will find helpful information to assist in these task, if you are not sure what to do..

Stay Virus Free