For the third scam of Christmas, the criminals may give to me…multiple phony Facebook promotions that may steal my identity!
When I first started working with McAfee, during The SPAM Experiment, one of my objectives was to go in search of the free laptop, iPod, etc. You know – those enticing ads that offer an amazing “Free” item in exchange for simply filling out “this form” or for taking advantage of some other attractive offer, that is, purchase this great item and “get a free iPod!”
Well, after a month of clicking on offers and filling out forms all I got was a big, fat goose egg, nada, zilch! I am however, still getting junk mail addressed to the alias “Penelope Retch” that I had created more than two years ago.
So when I see those Facebook promotions that promise some free prize, I know to avoid them. A recent scam advertised two free airline tickets, but required participants to fill out multiple surveys requesting personal information.
If you have spent any time at all on Facebook, you have heard the horror stories from folks who clicked on a bad link and gave away a cell phone number or credit card information only to find a bogus charge on their statement a few weeks later.
So as the holidays gear up and you get busier and busier, please keep these simple tips in mind:
1. Be wary of clicking on an ad on Facebook if you are unclear who the source is.
2. Always read all permissions on a page before accepting the terms and going to the page.
3. If you click on a link and it asks you to log in to Facebook, do not do it! Criminals make it look like an official log-in page so they can steal your password and spam your friends.
4. Be careful giving out any personal information such as cell phone and credit card information online.
As with any offer, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For more information about online fraud, see www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com. To see all of the 2011 12 Scams of Christmas, please click here. Stay tuned for my tips for staying safe the remaining “9 days” of the holidays!
Keep your head this holiday season and stay safe out there!
By: Tracy Mooney
