Scam Signature Messages:
Get Christmas Theme for FB on —>> Cool new christmas feature or theme <<—
Scam Type: Malware
Why it’s a Scam:
Alternate Message
Get Christmas Theme for FB on —>> All new Santa Claus theme for christmas <
Clicking the link on the Facebook wall post takes you to the following screen:
This page shows a bit.ly link that automatically redirects to the external website shown below. This should be a huge red flag. This scam has already claimed over 15,000 Facebook users!
Ironically, this screen even gives you a warning about installing extensions, apps and themes. Perhaps this is to lull the unsuspecting user into a false sense of security. If you do continue with the installation, you are presented with the following:
The end game here is a rogue browser plugin. As the warning above states, only install add-ons from authors you trust. Based on what we have seen so far, this one is far from trustworthy. You can even see that the name of the add-on is ‘Free Cheesecake Factory’ and the author isn’t verified. We have seen a viral Cheesecake Factory scam already, and this one add-on likely was created by the same person. We decided to stop here and recommend you do the same.
How to Deal with the Scam:
If you follow the scam through to its completion, then you are likely spreading the very same scam message to your friends. They will need to remove the scam message by clicking the small “X” located in the top right hand corner of the post on their wall. You also need to run a complete system scan on your machine to make sure the code didn’t infect your system. You will also need to uninstall the rogue add-on from your web browser.
How to protect your Facebook account from Rogue Browser Extensions
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:
Your Ultimate Guide to Facebook Scams and How to Deal with Them
How to spot a Facebook Survey Scam
BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams like this.