Scam Signature Message: haha check this out!!! Find out what your face will look like 30 years from now @ bit.ly

This message appears in both Facebook Chat and user News Feeds!

Scam Type: Chat-Jacking – Rogue Application – Survey Scam

Trending: March 2011

Why it’s a Scam:

When you click on the bit.ly link you the following page is displayed:

If you agree to install the “See Your Future” application you must agree to give the application developer full access to your basic information, post to your wall, access your data at any time, the right to Access Facebook Chat, and the right to Manage your pages. Applications that request many permissions like this should be avoided. Allowing them this access gives them permission to send chat messages to your friends. Your friends will likely think you are the person behind the chat and trust the link provided by the rogue app. We have heard reports that the links lead to viruses and malware infestation. You don’t want to be responsible for infecting your friend’s computers! You should never give a third party application this much access unless you are 100% sure of their intentions and authenticity.

If you are ever in doubt about a potentially malicious link, you can use the AVG online link scanner to check it out.

After you click “Allow,” you are taken to the follow page:

This scam creator is a little sloppy. The spam message is see what you look like in 30 years, but the screen shown here shows 20 years. Errors like this should be a warning sign that you are dealing with a scam. Clicking “Show Me” will produce the following page:

Here we see the typical survey scammer’s end game. Each time someone completes a survey – the scam creator gets a commission. Completing surveys gives the scammers more of your private information. If you downloaded any games or other files then your computer could be infecting with a virus, trojan or other malware. Never download files from scams like this!

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 (click the “x” in the top right hand corner of the post).You also need to access your privacy settings and remove the application from your list of approved Facebook applications. (Account/ Privacy Settings/ Applications and Websites.)

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