Jan 13, 2009 4:15 pm US/Eastern
BBB Warns Of Dangerous Social Networking Scams
BOSTON (CBS) ―
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Facebook users receive a message from a friend who says they are stuck in a sticky situation, such as being stranded in a foreign country. (File)
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning users of Facebook and other social networking sites about recent scams being used by hackers to steal a user's information, reports CBS station WBZ-TV.
Social networking has become extremely popular over the years. According to
"Inside Facebook," the site was growing at a rate of 500,000 users a day and approaching 150 million active users. "Social networking is extremely popular because it allows us to connect and reconnect with people we know and trust," said BBB spokesperson Paula Fleming. "Scammers know that they can take advantage of that trust by masquerading as friends, family and coworkers in order to easily disseminate viruses or steal personal information, such as bank or credit card numbers."
FRIEND IN DISTRESS SCAM
Facebook users receive a message from a friend who says they are stuck in a sticky situation, such as being stranded in a foreign country. The friend will ask that money be wired to them.
But this friend is actually a hacker who has accessed your friend's account.
If the victim does wire money to the scammer, the BBB says there is no way of recovering the money.
PHISHING FRIENDS
This scam has made the rounds on MySpace and was most recently detected on Facebook in December.
According to the BBB, the victim will receive a message on their Facebook account that says, "You look awesome in this video," or "You look funny in this video" and includes a link to an outside Web site, where you can view the video.
When you click on the link, a new window will open up that asks you to download the latest version of Flash. When you agree to that message, a virus is installed. This virus is designed to monitor the user's Internet activity and potentially steal personal information.
Are you the victim of a phishing scam?
A version of this virus is called "Koobface."
Koobface victims usually have a very difficult time getting rid of the virus, and in some cases, scrap their computers completely, according to the BBB.
VIRAL WALL POST
Another scam targets the fear people have of their pictures and information being spread all over the Internet.
According to the BBB, the victim will receive a post on their page that says, "hey do u realize your face book picture is all over."
This post usually appears as if it has come from a friend.
When the victim clicks on the link provided with the post, they are allowing hackers to access their personal accounts and the accounts of their friends.
STAY SAFE ONLINE
The BBB offers the following advice for staying safe on social networking sites:
- Be extremely wary of messages from friends or strangers that direct the user to another Web site via a hyperlink.
- Before wiring money to a friend in a jam, users should attempt to contact their friend outside of the social networking site, such as over the phone or via e-mail to confirm the situation. If that's not possible, BBB recommends asking them a question that only they would know the answer to.
- Users should always make sure their computer's operating system and antivirus and firewall software are up to date.
- Social networking sites are about sharing information, but BBB recommends that users take steps to keep important information private. While some social networking Web sites do allow for the user to share phone numbers and addresses, it's best to keep such information private.
- Be selective when choosing friends. While a user might not want to be rude, BBB recommends that it's best to decline a request for friendship if the user doesn't actually know the person.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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