New Facebook Scam Tells Users Their Profile Has Been Reported For Abuse

no_scamAccording to Malwarebytes, a new scam is making the rounds on Facebook that misleads users into believing their profile has been reported for “abuse.”

This “Security Systems Pages” hoax tells users that their profile may be disabled if they don’t provide a ton of sensitive information to the scammers, including email address, phone number, date of birth and Facebook password. According to these cyber crooks, they need all of that info to “verify” a victim’s account. As if that wasn’t enough, users are also asked to “upgrade” their credit card information, with a message popping up to reassure them that their info will be secure.

Scams like this one pop up all the time and are usually shut down quickly, but they are undeniably effective; phishers wouldn’t keep creating them if they weren’t. However, all it takes to avoid falling victim to them is a discerning eye and a little common sense.

“The majority of these fake logins are reached via email, and anytime you’re asked for credentials— or worse, payment information—from a supplied link, you should delete and move on with your day as this just isn’t something any service is in the habit of doing,” Malwarebytes Malware Intelligence Analyst Christopher Boyd told Infosecurity.

For a list of other top scams to be on the lookout for, be sure to check out this post: Top Ten Facebook Scams to Avoid.