Avoiding the Scammers

It’s human nature to avoid dangerous situations. See a piano falling from the roof ? You’re going to automatically move
out of the way. See a scam email, you are going to delete it and report it as spam.
On Facebook, identifying scams is trickier since messages appear to be coming from people you know and trust. So how do
you spot a scam on Facebook? Let’s begin with a bit of context.
Online scams tend to be moving targets. In the beginning, the obvious scams were email attachments from people you didn’t
know. Then it was “Security alerts” from banks or credit cards. Today, it can also be a status update from a Friend asking
you to watch a new video or visit an “awesome” website.
Conventional Scammers
Scammers hit Facebook for the same reason they target the rest of the Internet. They want access to your information, or
your computer, or the money in your pocket. And sometimes they want to trick you into downloading malicious software
to your computer. The trick is to recognize the phishers, account thieves, and malware pushers.
Phishers steal personal information, often the data needed for identity theft and fraud. Phishing is an attempt to trick users
into revealing personal information or financial data. You’ve already seen phishing scams in your email. On Facebook,
phishers can try to scam you from multiple places—in status postings on your profile, in Facebook messages, and in
Facebook chat. They can even send you regular email pretending to be Facebook or a popular App like Farmville or Mafia
Wars.
Account thieves try to trick you into logging into a fake Facebook screen in order to steal your Facebook login and password.
This is why you should always check the address in your browser bar to make sure you are on Facebook and not some other
unrelated site.
Why would anyone want your Facebook account? They hope to access other accounts using your password. They might
want to sell your information, or to scam your Friends. People are far more likely to fall for a scam when it comes from
someone they trust, like a Friend.
Malware pushers want to install destructive software on your computer. That malicious software, called malware, is
designed to harm your computer or steal personal information. That malware might do a number of nasty things. It could
install spyware to log your keystrokes and collect financial account numbers and passwords. Or even lock up your computer
unless you pay a ransom. How do malware pushers target Facebook users? You’ll be presented with an offer to download
and install new software on your computer. It might be a new game, a digital photo organizer, a digital music player, or any
other useful piece of software. Before you download any “free” software, always ask yourself who made it and why it might
be free. If it feels a bit dicey, don’t download it. You are the first line of defense against malware. Think before you click!