Beware of ‘Remove Facebook Timeline’ Scams (Via Facecrooks.com)

The following scam alert post is courtesy of our friends at (LINK)Facecrooks.com (http://facecrooks NULL.com/Scam-Watch/beware-of-remove-facebook-timeline-scams NULL.html). For the latest information concerning Facebook scams, Tech Geek and More recommends visiting (LINK) Facecrooks (http://facecrooks NULL.com). (Thanks to Facecrooks for allowing the repost) Originally posted – January 4, 2012

When new Facebook features are added, scammers use the chaos, confusion and disdain to take advantage of unsuspecting users. The most recent instance involved the Facebook Ticker. There are ways to remove the Ticker by using browser extensions; however, there is no such fix for the Facebook Timeline.

Inside Facebook (http://networkedblogs NULL.com/sjNEW)reported the following just yesterday:

“Despite Facebook’s efforts to educate users about the new profile, some people have misconceptions that make them susceptible to scams like these. We have found 16 Timeline-related scam pages, which have collectively gained more than 71,000 likes. The largest, with nearly 19,000 likes, has been around for at least two weeks. These pages are among the top search results when searching Facebook for “timeline.”

There are several Facebook Pages, rogue applications and rogue browser extensions claiming to show you how to remove the Timeline from your profile. Just doing a quick search via the Facebook Search bar revealed the following:

(http://facecrooks NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/remove-timeline NULL.jpg)

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Alert: Beware of Facebook Freebies! (Post via Facecrooks.com)

The following post comes from (LINK) Facecrooks.com (http://facecrooks NULL.com/Scam-Watch/beware-of-facebook-freebies NULL.html). They are a great resource for Facebook information. (Thanks to Facecrooks for allowing the repost)

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Very few words can capture one’s attention more than the word ‘FREE.’ You would think that the constant use and overuse by marketers worldwide would eventually desensitize us to its power, but such is not the case. Just seeing the word on a page, in an online advertisement, or hearing it on the television or the radio is enough for the average person to stop and take notice.

Facebook scammers and spammers have enjoyed great success with the lure of false promises. At any given moment, you don’t have to look very hard to find the following “Free” offers or scams on Facebook:

Free iPads, iPhones, Personal Computers or Tablets
Free Gift Cards & Vouchers
Free Airline Ticket Offers
Free Facebook Credits
Free Facebook Events
Free Virtual & Game Items

99% of the time, the end game encountered by unsuspecting users is either a survey scam or a marketing gimmick where you have to complete several ‘special’, ‘reward’ or ‘bonus’ offers to qualify for the promotion. These offers often cost real money, and we have yet to hear of a case where the participant actually received anything after jumping through all of the hoops. (if you know of someone that has, please have them send us an email with the details – info@facecrooks.com (info null@null facecrooks NULL.com))

What’s in it for the scammers?

So why do the scam creators go through all of the trouble? If there is a word more powerful than ‘FREE,” it could be ‘MONEY.’ The more benign scams are run by marketing companies that get paid a commission for each survey completed or offer accepted. Users often submit their name, date of birth, home address, email address and phone number while signing up for the ‘special’ offers. As you can imagine, this is a treasure trove of data for unscrupulous marketers and identity thieves.

Another danger with survey scams is the potential for malware infections. Users are often tricked into downloading what they think are games, browser plug-ins or other files. If their system isn’t protected, then they could unknowingly install a virus, keylogger, or all sorts of other malware.

How can you protect yourself from these scams?

The first step is to be aware that scams like this are prevalent on Facebook. If you have the mindset that most of the ‘free’ offers you encounter are bogus, then you’ll be a step ahead of the game.

Think before you Click! If the offer sounds too good to be true, then don’t click that link! There is no way a company can afford to give every Facebook user a $25.00, $50.00 or $100.00 gift card. A little common sense here tells you that something is way off base.

If the offer being presented sounds like it could be legitimate, then contact the company to verify the promotion. Visit their website or contact them on the telephone. This will only take a few moments and could save you a lot of trouble down the road.

As the old saying goes, “if it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.” No where are these words of wisdom more applicable than on Facebook!

Have you Overlooked your ‘Other’ Facebook Messages? (Via Facecrooks.com)

The following post comes from (LINK) Facecrooks (http://facecrooks NULL.com/). Facecrooks considers itself “THE Social Media Watchdog!” From their site -

“Our mission is to monitor and chronicle the seedy, unsavory and silly side of social media. We provide current news, educational resources and alerts on social media privacy, safety and scams”.

The following post cover a Facebook feature that unless you are paying attention, you could miss. A 2nd inbox in Facebook for messages, where some of your messages could be ending up. The post was originally posted on (link) Facecrooks (http://facecrooks NULL.com/Internet-Safety-Privacy/have-you-overlooked-your-other-facebook-messages NULL.html), in their Internet Safety and Privacy section.

(http://facecrooks NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/other_messages NULL.jpg)Mashable (http://mashable NULL.com/2011/12/09/facebook-hidden-messages/)revealed yesterday that many Facebook users have been unaware of the “Other” inbox located beneath the standard ‘Messages’ tab on Facebook.

Facebook, in its infinite wisdom, created this folder to automatically sort the messages you receive that they deem to be spam or not important due to a lack of connections to you. They committed a similar act earlier this year when ‘Smart Lists’ were introduced. Users were none too pleased to find that Facebook had added friends to certain lists based on their previous interactions and relationships.

I checked my folder and was pleased to find that the only thing I had missed were messages from Facebook Pages that I have ‘liked.’ I’ve missed a few webinar invites and event notifications. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but it would have been nice to know the ‘other’ tab exists.

This whole incident came to light when a Slate (http://www NULL.slate NULL.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/12/facebook_s_other_messages_mail_you_are_probably_missing NULL.2 NULL.html) reporter received a message from someone who found her lost laptop. Due to the fact that there was no connection between the two Facebook users, the message was sorted to the ‘Other’ inbox. Of course she was outraged that she didn’t receive the message in a timely manner. Upon further investigation, she discovered that both she and her colleagues had missed other important messages.

So, what can you do to make sure something like this doesn’t happen to you in the future? To make a long story short, the only remedy is to check the ‘Other’ message tab often. You can’t set up your account to receive email notifications for messages sorted to this Social Inbox.

It’s really easy to check to see if you have missed any important messages. Just Click the ‘Messages’ link located under “Favorites”. (located in the left column of your Facebook page) – this will reveal the ‘Other’ tab.

Facebook’s logic and reasoning for this behavior makes sense, it would just be nice if they did a better job of communicating subtle nuances of features to their users.