BBB Warns MySpace & Facebook Users of Potential Scammers

Connecticut-based Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Office is warning people about Internet scammers who are misusing Facebook as the easiest possible way to capture users' information.

The agency stated that the social networking sites such as Facebook and others became so popular that they were increasingly being used as a platform for searching and renewing contact with old buddies whom people trust. Meanwhile, scammers such as hackers and phishers were exploiting this trust by masquerading as family members, friends and colleagues to do cyber crimes such as spamming, phishing or installing malicious contents like spyware or virus.

According to BBB, in addition to Facebook, scammers were also targeting MySpace, another popular social networking site, and finding it a useful platform to entice unwitting users into downloading computer viruses from the Net and revealing personal information.

Therefore, BBB has published a series of guidelines for MySpace and Facebook users - how to maintain safety on sites for social networking. According to it, users must be very cautious of messages coming not only from strangers but also friends leading the user to a different website through a web-link.

BBB further states users who wish to send money to someone on the social networking website must first contact that person outside the site via e-mail or over phone to know the situation. But if that is not feasible, then BBB recommends that the user asks his friend a question whose answer is known only to him.

Further, since social sites are a common medium to share one's private information, BBB suggests users to keep vital information confidential. While some social networking websites do permit the sharing of addresses and phone numbers, BBB advises keeping such details

Apart from these suggestions, BBB also advises users to communicate with only selected friends. If strangers offer their friendship on a social site, BBB recommends that users who do not wish to sound rude to politely decline the request as the safest option.

Finally, BBB asks users to notify any doubtful e-mail on its website, www.bbb.org.

Related article: BBA Outlines Steps To Ward Off Online Fraud

» SPAMfighter News - 3/5/2009