Scam Message:

WOW I just got my hillbilly name! Hilarious! Get your hillbilly name! CLICK–>

Scam Type: Rogue Application, Survey Scam

Trending: April 2012

Why it’s a Scam:

Clicking the wall post link takes you to the following Facebook application installation screen:

Clicking “Allow” will give the permissions shown above to the scammer. The application will be able to post to Facebook as you. This will allow them to spam their scam messages to all of your friends. This scam also tags your friends in the Wall Post. Do you really want to let an unknown developer have this much access to your Facebook information? These scams are known to use multiple Facebook apps.

Anytime you install a third party Facebook application, you give the application developer access to your personal data. Always be very selective on the apps you install, and only install them from well-known, trusted sources.

Continuing on with the installation redirects you to the following survey scam:

Facebook is riddled with silly apps like this, and we strongly advise that you avoid them all.

How to Deal with the Scam:

If you did make the mistake of installing the rogue application you are now spamming the very same spam 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 also need to remove the app from your Facebook account. Click the down triangle—>Account Settings—>Apps to remove this and other 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:

Your Ultimate Guide to Facebook Scams and How to Deal with Them

How to spot a Facebook Survey Scam

---

Recommended Resources

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

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

Do Not Track + is a FREE browser plugin created by Abine. This easy to install plugin keeps websites from tracking you. If you value your online privacy, then you should definitely take advantage of this free product.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.