14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook Timeline removal scams are not new, but this time cybercrooks took it up a notch and launched a phishing campaign that relies on the fact that some users are outright desperate to remove the newly introduced feature.
In reality, the Timeline is here to stay and like it or not everyone who still wants to use Facebook will have to accommodate to the change.
However, until all Facebook users get accustomed to this idea, phishers and other scammers will keep making shady sites that either want just a few Likes or, in some cases, the user's entire profile.
Bitdefender experts came across a Facebook community page called “I Hate Faceb0ok Timeline”. After providing a number of arguments which should demonstrate the evil that hides behind the Timeline, the page's creators request a Like from the visitor.
Once the victim Likes the page, he/she is taken to a site that shamelessly asks for the member’s name, email address and password (the ones used to log on to Facebook).
By providing these details, the unsuspecting Timeline-hater is actually handing over his/her account to the crooks.
Many may be asking themselves “What do crooks do with my Facebook account?”
Well, lately Facebook accounts have become highly valuable. Scams launched from phony accounts aren’t as successful as ones launched from the legitimate account of an individual who has a large number of friends.
Scam awareness-raising campaigns have partially paid off and many people are already conscious that a piece of malware can end up on their computers if they install a so-called Flash Player codec that’s needed to view an outrageous video.
This is why the scammers have started leveraging the trust factor that exists between social media friends. There’s nothing like a bit of social engineering to ensure the success of a malicious plot.
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