The latest scamware circulating on Facebook refrains aspects of a chain message from last month, only this time around malware accompanies the message: an erroneous warning that the site will close inactive accounts and asking people to verify they’re active.
Clicking on the link to verify your account starts a download of “view_your_problem” that introduces malware to your machine. a permission window, and if you click “allow,” the application takes you to a page offering a choice of six marketing surveys that all promise discounts and prizes, but only make a commission for the spammer if you complete the questionnaire.
And while the scamware takes you to the survey pages on a website away from Facebook, the app makes two posts to your wall. One of them warns about overpopulation and the other confirms that you’ve verified your account. Your friends’ walls might be spared from additional spam if you don’t make it all the way to the end of the survey.
Like our friends at Facecrooks point out, if you’ve already clicked “allow” so that this application could download onto your machine, delete all signs of it from your account. That means clicking on the x’s next to both posts on your wall, and then removing the app — click on the “account” link in the upper right hand corner of any page on the site, then click on “privacy settings” in the drop-down menu, and so on.
Readers, have you seen any posts on your contacts’ news feeds warning about so-called overpopulation? And has anyone reported this scamware to Facebook yet?
