Facebook Users Scammed with “Instant Winners” Prize as Bait

Scam e-mails are doing the rounds posing as "Facebook User Notice" telling recipients that they're winners of $50,000 referred to as the "Facebook Instant Winner" prize so they must follow a given web-link for validating their e-mail ids, reported hoax-slayer.com dated July 5, 2012.

Although an extremely simple message still it turned out as greatly effective so far as drawing people's notice is concerned.

The message begins by congratulating the recipient for getting a Facebook $50,000 reward followed with a request for substantiating his e-mail address through a particular link.

However according to security analysts, the scam e-mail may make an offer that apparently sounds highly inviting though in reality it's a bundle of trouble.

For, once an end-user clicks the web-link he's led onto a "prize" site, which prompts him to enter his e-mail address. Thereafter, he's lured into responding to "offers" or "surveys" seemingly to be able to get certain gift voucher for free. But making this response means disclosing one's private information, particularly contact details and complete address.

Moreover, there's never again mention of the so-called reward. Actually, the promised prize money solely aims at duping the innocent Web-surfer so he'll follow the web-link embedded on the fake e-mail. The gift voucher is also an empty pledge irrespective of the victim participating in the survey, thus published Help Net Security dated July 5, 2012.

Security experts caution that users mustn't give away their cell-phone number because any promise in exchange may just be some subscription to certain extremely costly SMS service.

Further, to avail of special offers it's advisable that consumers hunt solely the organizations' authorized Internet sites as also utilize authorized social-networking accounts.

Eventually, the above scam is yet again a frequent survey fraud launched on Facebook. The scammers of such fake promotions are used to getting commissions through dubious associate marketing schemes whenever any victim responds to a survey or offer. Besides, there may arrive huge phone bills associated with undesired cell-phone services, while with contact details provided the victim may also get overwhelming forced promotional e-mails, junk e-mails and/or mobile phone calls, caution the specialists.

Related article: Facebook - a Concern for Companies

» SPAMfighter News - 7/14/2012