A new phishing scam on Facebook claims that page administrators need to verify page ownership by submitting their Facebook username and password. Of course, it’s just a ploy to divest users of their personal info, as is made abundantly clear in the scam’s poorly-worded and grammatically incorrect “official” message from Facebook:
“Dear Facebook User,” the scam message reads, “You are receiving this message to notify you about the new security feature from Facebook called ‘Fan Page Verification Program’. After many Fan Pages have been stolen lately leaving us no choice but Deleting them forever, we had to come up with an original solution about the Fan Page’s Security. Luckily, your Fan Page, has a lot of likes and provides High Quality Content, which qualify it for this program.”
The message goes on to tell users that they qualify for a new security feature and need to choose a ten-digit security password by May 30. If they don’t, the scam says, their page will be suspended from Facebook permanently. The hoax screen looks like a form box prompting users to enter their log-in information, page URL, and fake ten-digit code, and while at first glance the page looks like a convincing extension of Facebook, it’s obviously a sham upon closer inspection. Whenever a message on Facebook makes doom-and-gloom threats, has poor spelling or grammatical errors, or makes outrageous promises, it’s best to examine the link with a very skeptical eye before clicking or submitting any personal information.
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Recommended Resources
BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams on Facebook.
PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.
SocialSafe helps you to create your library of you. It’s the safest place for your online life. Downloaded to your computer, auto organised and instantly searchable. Supports most major social networks.
