14 DAY TRIAL // A new Facebook scam is tricking to trick users to participate in surveys and install rogues spam apps by promising them the ability to see how many time their profile was viewed.
The spam messages posted from the victims' accounts read: "My total facebook views are: 9878. Find out your total profile views [link]"
Clicking on the advertised link prompts a permission request dialog from an app called "Views" which wants access to post on people's walls.
Users who misguidedly agree to install the application will unknowingly help propagate the scam by spamming everyone in their friends list.
They are then redirected to a page claiming they need to complete a 30-second verification test in order to "find out how much views you had in 2010."
These tests are affiliate marketing offers that try to sign up users to premium rate mobile services or trick them into buying things.
Every time a user completes such a "test," scammers earn a commission, with or without the direct knowledge of the affiliate marketing company.
The most interesting aspect of this scam is the lure, which, if past examples are any indication, must prove very profitable for the attackers.
It turns out that Facebook users are very attracted by offers of features that are either banned or impossible on the social networking site.
For example, one lure used repeatedly in Facebook scams with a high rate of success is the ability to see the names of profile visitors.
This feature is explicitly banned by the social network due to its privacy implications. "Third party applications also cannot provide this functionality. Applications that claim to give you this ability will be removed from Facebook for violating policy," the site's FAQ reads.
Another popular lure promises to alert users when seomeone removes them from their list of friends.
People who fell victim to these scams should go to Account > Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites and remove the rogue apps. Their wall should also be cleaned from spam messages.