Poor grammar and spelling errors are two of the telltale signs of a fake link on Facebook. But misspelling the name of the website’s CEO? That is the reddest of red flags.

The latest malicious scam to go viral on Facebook purports to be a message from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The obvious problems with the message start immediately: Zuckerberg’s name is spelled “Zurckerberg” at the very top of the message content. The alert then goes on to say that the user is in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service, and could have their profile permanently locked if they don’t click on a link and verify their identity. If users click on the link, they are taken to a fake Facebook log-in page that is then used to reap their personal information.

As common as these hoaxes are, they’re easy enough to avoid. There are several poor grammatical errors and spelling mistakes made in the body of the message, not to mention the most egregious mistake of all, the misspelling of Zuckerberg’s name. Also, a few seconds of thought and some common sense should immediately arouse users’ suspicions of this message. For instance, why would Mark Zuckerberg personally sign a message that was sent out en masse to users, something he never does? Why would so many accounts suddenly be in violation of the site’s Terms of Service? As always, these frauds look silly on their face, but they crop up all too frequently to be taken lightly.

If you or a friend fall for this or another Facebook phishing scam, the article below can help you reclaim your account:

4 Things you need to do if your Facebook account gets hacked.

Recommended Resources

DoNotTrackMe protects your privacy by blocking online tracking. Abine – Online Privacy Starts Here.

SocialSafe helps you to create your library of you. It’s the safest place for your online life. Downloaded to your computer, auto organised and instantly searchable. Supports most major social networks.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams on Facebook.