14 DAY TRIAL // Survey scammers came up with a new lure to have their pockets filled by Facebook users, and the curiosity of the victims is still what they rely on. In a recent case, the bait was a gruesome video of a woman getting killed in a fight.
The way the scam works is the same as ever, with the link coming from a friend who obviously couldn’t resist the temptation and tried to watch the video. Combine this with the fact that the share has a reputed new media outlet as the source (most of the times, it is published under the video thumb), and the scammers are one step closer to reaching their goal.
The tease continues even after clicking on the link that is supposed to take to the violent footage and a new page launches, which looks like Facebook, but when checked, the URL address says otherwise.
However, before allowing the victim to help them make some quick cash, the scammers need to ensure a constant income stream and, as such, ask to share the video in order to have it played.
Excited by the prospect of watching some piece of cruelty, the user decides to spread the vid to their friends, thus prolonging the lifespan of the scam.
Even so, after being taken outside Facebook and complying with the request of sharing the link without actually knowing if it is worth passing it on, the scammers still don’t offer access to the violent material; and they never will.
Instead, they do hand out what they’re actually paid for: the survey itself. Directing traffic to online questionnaires and having them completed is where the dough is for them.
I am not sure how efficient this method is when it comes to attracting victims, but the promise of a gruesome video should, in fact, be driving Facebook users away, unless scammers have to complete a specific type of survey that requires a certain user profile.
Since Facebook is so big, the community includes all sorts of users, including those with more “exotic” tastes as far as pleasurable pastime is concerned.
Another scam that circulated last week on Facebook is the one with the man-eating python. In that case, we were actually able to find the video the scammers pushed as bait for the more gullible users. In this case, however, we won’t even pretend that we looked for it.
The online survey scams are among the least dangerous ones, but cybercriminals are always looking for fresh victims, and under the pretense of providing access to something fabulous, they often try to push malware.
In order to keep the system and yourself on the safe side, it is best to proceed with caution and refrain from sharing a link before you check it out.