14 DAY TRIAL // Security researchers from Websense have found a toolkit for creating CPALead-based Facebook scams being sold on the underground market for as little as $25.
The do-it-yourself kit can be used to launch spam campaigns based on rogue apps that lead people to surveys.
Called "Tinie's Facebook Viral Application" the tool claims to be coded by someone calling themselves Fbexpert.
"Tinie's App V3 is basically a viral facebook application script designed to work in conjunction with CPALead surveys," says the scammer in his sales pitch.
The toolkit can generate a scam's landing page, the rogue Facebook app that serves as propagation mechanism and the survey dialogs.
All that's necessary for the user is to customize the spam message and page according to the lure they choose to use.
The kit comes with full documentation, but if the buyers can't even make their own fake images, there are individual "niche" templates available for purchase.
The seller identified by Websense claims that people have had as many as 8,000 users caught in the spam network created by a single viral application.
He also claims the toolkit costs $45 from its original creators, but he is selling it for $25 because he needs money quickly for a project.
CPALead, the source of the deceptive surveys, is an affiliate marketing company accused for endorsing scams and willingly paying spammers.
Back in October, Facebook filed a lawsuit against Jason Swan, the chief technology officer of CPALead, accusing him of spamming on the social network.
The company claims Swan created more than 27 fake profiles, 13 fake pages, and at least 7 rogue applications as part of an affiliate marketing advertising scam.
"This phenomenon of template Facebook applications like Tinie app shows how the spamming culture is consolidating more and more around Facebook, adapting to the platform and increasing what we call Web spam," the Websense researchers write.