Scam Signature Message:

I’ve just received a $500 Walmart Giftcard for free and 5 more to give away to friends. If you shop at Walmart and want one for free, get one here:

Scam Type: Survey Scam, Rogue Facebook Application, Bogus Offer

Trending: February 2013

Why it’s a Scam:

Clicking the wall post link takes you to a Facebook called ‘Free Giftcards:’

Continuing with the application install requires the following additional permissions:

Ultimately, you are redirected to the scam page shown below:

How to Deal with the Scam:

If you did make the mistake of installing the Facebook application, then you could be spamming the message to your friends. Clean up your newsfeed and profile to remove references to the scam. (click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the post).

You’ll also need to remove the rogue Facebook application from your account. The guide shown below can help you do that:

How to Protect Your Facebook Account from Rogue Applications

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:

How to spot a Facebook Survey Scam

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Recommended Resources

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

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

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