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Step 1
KNOW HOW IT INFECTS: The most recent Facebook phishing scam resembles the Koobface virus in its infection technique. Users receive an email that is automatically generated from an infected friends account. The email contains a generic headline such as "check this out," followed by a link. When the Facebook user clicks on the link, they are taken to a website that is designed to resemble to Facebook website, where they are prompted to reenter their Facebook username and password. The new site then steals the users information, and uses it to log into the Facebook users account, where it sends the same nefarious email on to all of the infected users Facebook friends and contacts, further spreading itself.
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Step 2
HOW TO AVOID IT: Some common sense precautions can help social networkers avoid Facebook phishing scams: (1) Never click a link if you have doubts about its origin. If you're not sure, consider calling or IMing the friend that sent you the link to make sure it came from them. (2) Likewise, practice good etiquette when sending out links or downloadable material yourself. Always provide a short personalized description that will allow your recipients to know the link actually came from you. (3) When you follow a link, pay attention to the url. Any unusual changes in the primary url (the information that comes before the first slash (the "/") might be an indicator that you have navigated to a different site that may or may not be trustworthy. For example, the Facebook phishing link took users to the site "FBstarter.com" or "FBAction.net." (4) Finally, be aware that Facebook does not ask users to re-log in simply to view material or download a new Facebook application. So, if you find yourself being asked to enter your log in information a second time, this should raise a red flag.
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Step 3
WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE ALREADY INFECTED: If you believe you have already fallen victim to the Facebook phishing scam, simply log in and change your password. Likewise, it would be wise to change your password on any related sites that you have linked to Facebook (for example, if you have connected Picasa to Facebook, and you use your Facebook password as your Picasa password as well, go ahead and change your password settings on Picasa.
Comments
brainfd said
on 6/21/2009 I just cleaned up a nasty virus last week. I am not sure where it came from-maybe Facebook? Thank you
Mindee94 said
on 6/20/2009 Facebook is one of my fave hideouts! Thanks for the great tips on how to protect myself and my friends. ~Mindee~
grove said
on 6/14/2009 Really helpful information here. I love Facebook, but there are some really creepy people taking advantage of its popularity. 5*