Scam Signature Message: anyone want some free makeup?…
Scam Type: Like Jacking – Survey Scam – Rogue Application
Trending: December 2010
Why it’s a Scam:
Once you click on the Wall Post link, you are taken to the following page:
This page has a Facebook has a Facebook login button that you must click to proceed. If you do indeed click the login button then you are presented with a Facebook application installation screen as seen below. It appears this scam uses multiple Facebook application names. We have seen the one listed below and a Facebook application called “iPhone.”
If you agree to install the application, you must agree to give the application developer full access to your basic information and the right to email you, post to your wall, access your data at any time and the right to manage your pages. You should never give a third party application this much access unless you are 100% sure of their intentions and authenticity. If you do proceed with the application install, your account is like-jacked and you are spreading the scammers message to all of your friends. You are also taken to the following screen:
At this stage, you must enter and validate an email address. So now, not only does the scammer have your Facebook account compromised with a rouge application, but you have also given them access to an email account. The fine print is a little small in this image, so listed below are the conditions you must agree to in order to receive your “free makeup:”
This promotion is conducted solely by CoolPremiums. By continuing, I have read and agree to CoolPremiums’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. To receive the gift for this promotion you must: 1) sign-up with valid information including email, shipping, and phone; 2) complete the survey; 3) complete at least 2 Silver, 1, Gold and 1 Platinum Sponsor Offers (offer availability will vary); 4) be a US resident 18 or over; 5) not cancel your participation in more than a total of 2 Sponsor Offers within 30 days of the Sponsor Offer Initial Transaction Date (the Cancellation Limitation). Your gift can be obtained at no cost by completing free trial Sponsor Offers and/or by following the Refer-A-Friend program requirements; otherwise some Sponsor Offers may require a purchase to qualify. Upon completion of all Program Requirements, your gift will be shipped to the shipping address you provided. Limit one gift per household per year. Void where prohibited.
This Gift Program is not endorsed, sponsored by or affiliated with Bare Minerals, Bare Escentuals, GUTHY-RENKER CORPORATION, or any other merchants listed above. Such terms are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
As you can very well see, there is no such thing as a free lunch or free makeup in this case.
How to Deal with the Scam:
If you did make the mistake of installing the application and passing the link onto your friends, you should clean-up your newsfeed and profile to remove references to the application. You also need to access your privacy settings and remove the application.
If you made the mistake of submitting your cell phone number for any of the surveys, then you should contact your carrier immediately to keep any bogus charging from appearing.
If you or your Facebook friends are falling for tricks like this, it’s time to get yourself informed of the latest threats. Be sure to join the Facecrooks page on Facebook to be kept informed of the latest security issues. Also check out:
Previous post
Next post
