RALEIGH, NC, July 31, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is warning consumers about the latest 'phishing' scams that are making the rounds on Facebook.
"Phishing scams are designed to lure personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims, and can lead to identity theft," said Beverly Baskin, President and CEO of BBB serving Eastern North Carolina. "By targeting Facebook users with phishing attempts, scammers can reach a large group with the potential to steal information from more than 500 million users on one site."
BBB is warning about two types of scams that have emerged on Facebook, which use familiar brand names to steal your personal information:
The Free Gift Card Scam:
One message appearing on Facebook claims that users can receive a free gift card for clicking on a special link. Consumers are instructed to click on the button labeled "LIKE" to get the free gift card from Subway. BBB has verified with Subway that this is a scam and it is not affiliated with any Subway promotion. More recently, consumers have found this same site to offer a free Starbucks gift card to anyone who follows the same steps. Once a user clicks on the special link included in the fake offer, they are taken to a site that asks for personal information including credit card numbers and other information that should not be provided to an unknown source.
The Fraudulent Status Update Scam:
Some Facebook messages are using the name of familiar companies including Coca Cola and McDonald's along with enticing headlines that read 'I am part of the 98.0% of people that are NEVER gonna drink Coca Cola again after this HORRIFIC video,' and 'OMG!! McDonald's might soon shut down because of this! Warning: Your jaw will drop to the floor!' Both of these headlines include links that take the user away from Facebook to another site. If you click on the links, you are told to take a survey that asks you for personal information that you should not give out on the Internet.
By clicking on the links in either of the Facebook messages mentioned above, your computer could be infected with spyware, malware or viruses designed to steal any personal information or passwords stored on your computer. Consumers should beware of similar scams through email and Facebook that use familiar names and enticing offers that are merely empty promises that can result in identity theft.
BBB offers the following advice to help you protect your identity online:
• Parents should teach their children about online scams and identity theft given that millions of Facebook users are young people. While young people are very computer savvy, they may not be as scam savvy as adults are.
• Do not click on suspicious links online disguised as sensational information, even if the link comes from one of your Facebook friends.
• Do not give out personal information online unless you know with 100 percent certainty that the recipient is a secure, encrypted site and you know for what purpose the information will be used. Web addresses for secure sites begin with "https", not simply "http". Secure sites also have a padlock symbol in the lower right corner of the screen.
For more information about staying safe online and tips for preventing identity theft, please visit http://www.bbb.org.
The Better Business Bureau serving Eastern North Carolina is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation serving 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. The organization is funded primarily by membership dues from more than 2,900 local businesses and professional firms. The BBB promotes integrity, consumer confidence and business ethics through business self-regulation in the local marketplace. Services provided by the BBB include, reports on companies and charitable organizations, general monitoring of advertising in the marketplace, dispute resolution services, and consumer/business education programs. All services are provided at no cost to the public, with the occasional exception of mediation and arbitration. Visit bbb.org.
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