Category Archives: Facebook

Are the scammers reading SMD?

…… well it would appear that they are!

After numerous posts where I questioned the sanity of trying to scam Facebook users by “giving away” hundreds of “prizes” this page popped up with a quite believable twelve laptops to give away (See the highlighted passage).15-05-2013-8-50-01-AM

Also there is no ridiculous reason for the give away as previously seen  in likewhore scams of this ilk such as, “we can’t sell them because they are unsealed.” This is also something that I have highlighted in several posts as signs of a con.

So the scammers are clearly reading the page (I feel so special – *waves “hi” to the scammers)

The clues to the scam are still there however, the page has only been open for a few days and this was the first, and only, post. True to form, as of this morning the account has disappeared. WHAT? before the July 1st prize draw date?  Naw shucks!

What I really found AMAZING about this is the person right at the bottom (under the arrow) who comments “Sounds like a scam to harvest FB users accounts. Prove me wrong.”  - BA BOW, unlucky chuamp. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s not likely to be an elephant.

I really can’t stress enough the importance of having a close look at these prize give away pages before “liking” or “sharing” anything. It only takes two seconds to visit the page and check out how long the page has been operating and how many posts they’ve made. Chances are; not very long and not very many.

Message from Zuckerberg Re: Facebook Video ads

fb-adsI like this, it shows that the nasty pasties are getting cunning!

The message is supposed to be from Mark Zuckerberg “informing” Facebook users that Facebook is, “looking into  playing video ads as a way to increase the profitability of Facebook….”  BUT if enough people share the message they wont bring in the video ads AT ALL.

OH PUHHHLEASE.

Firstly – AS IF a corporation would  release such a negatively worded introduction for something that they are doing: “These ads will stop what you are doing every ten mintues….” Have you never seen a commercial? They go like this, (as I write this I was just gifted an example from some boofhead telemarketer!) “Great news! I’m calling from Energy Australia (CULPRITS!) you have been selected for a discount on your gas and electricity bill” Really? that’s funny, you don’t supply my house with either of those things? “You are eligible for a minimum 20% discount on your gas and electricity!” erm ….. we don’t have gas and you aren’t my provider how come I’m entitled to a discount. “Ahh you are eligible for a discount” CLICK Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Secondly – If all the reports are even close to the mark Facebook stand to make $4 Million dollars A DAY from these ads, you really think they’re going to give that up just because we don’t like the idea?

Anyway, on to why I like this so much ….. well because, as far as scams go, this is a good one. It has enough truth in it comes across as plausible and lots of people will get sucked in.

Facebook are indeed going to start video ads, as early as next month if we’re to believe the FT, but unlike “Zuck’s” post suggests Phillipa Warr from wired.co.uk  reckons that they will indeed autoplay but MUTED (only having sound if the user chooses) and only in the user’s newsfeed, just like current “suggested posts”. Seems to me then that these ads will be as easily ignored as video ads on certain newspaper Websites, and contrary to “Zuck” the ads will be short, as Evan LePage says, “the advertisements will reportedly be limited to 15 seconds. Facebook will also work to ensure that only one video per brand will show up in your newsfeed on any given day. ” On top of this Cotton Delo of adage.com contradicts “Zuck” on the frequency of the ads saying that the frequency will be, “….capped to ensure that no user sees more than three per day”.

Kudos to the scammers for this one. It could nearly be true. Unfortunately Facebook has, as yet, declined to offer comment on video ads or how much cash they’ll be rolling in when they start appearing.

Video ads ARE coming but nevertheless this message is ……

DEBUNKED :)

Thanks to Kim for passing this one on ;)

CG-T

PS Energy Australia – YOU SUCK!

Are hackers posting porn on your FB page without your knowledge?

This one bent my brain a little but thanks to Kellee on FB for forwarding this one to us.

It appears that there is a hint of truth in this one. It goes back to 2011 when this first reared it’s head. It was initially reported as a hoax  but after many users continued to report posts like this it was looked into again.

Basically, back in 2011 nasty pasty hackers were getting access to unwitting users accounts by tricking them into cut/paste an internet code called Javascript into their browsers which then allowed the hackers to control the site that the user was interacting with. I want to say here in red & bold because it’s serious;

Do not ever, EVER! cut and paste any kind of code from Webpages or FB pages into your Web browser.

They will try to trick you by offering prizes or the chance to see “some celebrity doing something video/images”; there is no such prize or video;

Do not ever, EVER! EVER! cut and paste any kind of code from Webpages or FB pages into your Web browser.

Anywho, back to the story; It transpires that once the hacker had control of your FB account they posted (fake) images of Bieber (why do they always use this annoying midget??) engaging in some hardcore man love and naked grannies and so on, onto your wall.

Rumours surrounding this attack were linked to various groups like Anonymous back in 2011, but were never confirmed.

Facebook got onto the problem and found the security problem was with certain Web browsers (I’m not saying that IE was a culprit – because I don’t know that for sure – but I BET you that it was!)  and released a statement saying,

“Protecting the people who use Facebook from spam and malicious content is a top priority for us, and we are always working to improve our systems to isolate and remove material that violates our terms. Recently, we experienced a coordinated spam attack that exploited a browser vulnerability. Our efforts have drastically limited the damage caused by this attack, and we are now in the process of investigating to identify those responsible.

During this spam attack users were tricked into pasting and executing malicious javascript in their browser URL bar causing them to unknowingly share this offensive content. Our engineers have been working diligently on this self-XSS vulnerability in the browser. We’ve built enforcement mechanisms to quickly shut down the malicious Pages and accounts that attempt to exploit it. We have also been putting those affected through educational checkpoints so they know how to protect themselves. We’ve put in place backend measures to reduce the rate of these attacks and will continue to iterate on our defenses to find new ways to protect people.”

Which basically means that they found the main problem was with certain browsers but fixed it from their end.

NOTE: The issue with browsers has since been fixed and security updates have been sent: another reason you should always keep your browser updated.

NOW …… That is the end of the history lesson.

The current warning that is circulating FB (an example is pictured but we’ve seen a few other versions) is more than likely a fake, a simple scam by 484757_567934649904281_1533185397_nlikewhores to increase the reputation of their page.

My advice; instead of spreading this message and potentially furthering the cause of those who only want to mess up the joint, protect your account from these attacks. NEVER cut/paste code into your browser (I may have mentioned that previously!), ALWAYS  keep your browser updated, NEVER install unknown apps that request to “post on your behalf” and uninstall any apps that do have permission, NEVER get sucked into clicking on the “OMG you wont believe it” video links and finally, if you do see something that looks sus, report it to Facebook and the friend in question so that they can secure their account.

Happy internetting!

The tale of “Lauren” and the unmarked police car.

Many thanks to our FB friend Erin for sending in this one.

The story goes that “Lauren” is driving home when an unmarked police car attempts to pull her over. Wiley “Lauren” knows better than to pull over on a  deserted road and calls 112 and speaks to the police who say that there are no umarked cars in pursuit and promptly arrive and arrest the “convicted rapist”.

I traced this story back to 2001 when “Lauren” lived in Virginia, USA and she also pops up in Dorset, UK in 2006,   Ontario, Canada in 2010 and now in Australia twelve years later.

Snopes.com investigated the original claim in 2001 and could find no police reports/arrest records that matched this account.

Either “Lauren” is one hell of a well travelled and incredibly unlucky girl or this is a big fat hoax! I should point out that by this I refer to the current, 12 year old, somewhat altered from the original, version – the origins and it’s truth remain neither bunked nor debunked.

rozzers

The story does offer some good advice about unmarked police cars, there is documented evidence of nasty pasties pretending to be police to commit crime. Although you are obliged to pull over to unmarked police cars you also have the right to do so in a “safe place” and should call the emergency number of your country  if you have any doubts.

Regardless, “Lauren” and the fake dibble in 2013, in Australia – DEBUNKED!

The “It’s only going to happen once every EIGHT HUNDRED years” scam

or as we like to call it – It’s going to happen another two times in the next ten years!

calendar

Yes we’re talking about the fact that this year (2013) March contains two Friday’s, two Saturdays and two Sundays (pretty cool indeed!)

BUT (yes, there’s always a but!) contrary to the message currently being passed around quicker than head lice at a kindergarten it is NOT the only time in our lifetime that we will see it. Unless, of course, you die before 2019, which is when it happens again (also in March) … aaaaaaand again in 2024.

We could post pictures of calendars to prove our point but it’s much more fun if you do it for yourself.

The message also suggest that by passing the message on you’ll be ensuring that a financial windfall will come you way (cue enormous eye roll). Quite frankly any message that claims that you’ll get money, sex, love, good luck, ANYTHING just by passing on a Facebook message does not deserve any more time than a passing pffffft! All you’ll guarantee is that some likewhore (a term that we did not coin but deeply love!) will get great figures for their seedy FB page.

Do not like, do not share, do not comment on these bogus posts. It’s the only way they’ll stop :)

DEBUNKED!

Don’t Hit The Panic Button Yet!

panic-buttonThis post (below) was sent to us by friends of SMD.

After doing a touch of scratching round the underbelly of the interwebs we found that this type of “account cloning” is quite easy to pull off. However, it is not “new,” as the post claims, thatsnonsense.com suggests it’s been around for a number of years. We could not find any credible sources that say that this type of cyber attack is increasing in popularity.

 

So, how does this work? Glad you asked!

A nasty pasty cuts and pastes your profile image into a bogus account and then posts to all of the friends on your friend list saying that you are locked out of your original account (or in one ironic twist that we quite liked – that your original account had been hacked by clioning-panicpirates – you have to award points for a sense of humour!) and that they should switch over to this (the bogus) account. Once they have done so they are primed and ready to receive all kinds of spam and nonsense.

You don’t suffer any bad effects, apart from maybe losing a few FB friends and maybe a few real life friends who’re annoyed at all the rubbish you’ve been sending them on FB.

Ways to avoid it – You can’t stop them using your photo – that’s out there in internetland. What you can do is stop the pirates from seeing your friend list. On your profile (timeline) page go to your friends list and click on the “edit” button at the top. In the pop-up box that pops up (as they do!) change the setting to “only me” so no-one can see your list of friends. Easy Peasy!

We’re calling this one a Henny Penny (since we can’t use the more the modern version any more – Stupid Disney!) The threat is real, albeit small, and it’s always wise to take steps to protect yourself and your friends – but the sky certainly isn’t falling in!

Fake FB Pages offering free consoles to “BETA testers”

There are a few of these bogus pages springing up in Facebook land. They suck in gamers with the chance to test new games consoles and keep the console once the test is complete.

The example we’ve used here is for XBox 720 but we’ve seen pages for Playstation 4 and others.

xbox_720

These pages are completely bogus, the initial “likes” are from other bogus accounts and are merely a way for spammers to get a large number of “likes” or “shares” from genuine Facebook users. In turn their bogus page looks legit and seems popular so the spammers can spread even more of their evil spam.

Please stop “liking” “sharing” and commenting on these pages even if your just curious, as Craig Charles Haley of thatsnonsense.com puts it,

“You don’t need to put your hand in the fire to see if you get burnt. These giveaway Pages are never going to be genuine. Authentic competitions are only promoted by the official Fan Pages of the merchants running them. Don’t be responsible for passing this nonsense on to your friends. Remember, on social networking sites like Facebook we all rely on each other to help keep us safe and one person sharing spam can expose their friends to danger.“

By interacting with these sites you’re exposing yourself and all of your friends to all kinds of internet nasties. DON’T DO IT!

DEBUNKED!

(Not even nearly) Back in Black …. or pink or red or ……….

ImageYou’ve more than likely seen this in one form or another sometime since 2012 when it seems to have started. This (image) is the latest in a loooooong line of “change the colour of your Facebook” scams. These are boloney! The links lead to survey scams that use your information to make you a perfect target for further spam campaigns or to Websites that install plugins to your computer without your permission (and trust me, these plugins are VERY hard to find and delete!

 

As always, use common sense and be careful what you click!

DEBUNKED!

….and STILL nothing comes for free :(

Remember last week with the bogus Apple page giving away iPhones that couldn’t be sold because they were “unsealed”, well a page has sprung up that, to us, looks veeeeeeeery familiar.

This time the “we’ve gone crazy and slashed all our prices to zero” warehouse claims to have 569 (Yupp! FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE) ghd hair straighteners to give away. All you have to do is like the page and photograph for a chance to win (Remember this phrase!)

The official ghd FB page posted this warning, the page and the giveaway are completely bogus. All you’ll win is a nasty rash for your PC.

TIP: These scams are fairly easy to spot. The sheer number of items that they claim to be giving away is sheer lunacy! What kind of business can afford to give away FIVE HUNDRED of anything just because the boxes are open?

Any page that has offers such as this are more often than not hooked up to that old “dodgy brothers” survey scam that takes your time, information and gives you zip, zilch, nada in return.

Remember that phrase that we told you remember? (read up, we’ll all wait for you!) Pages that offer prizes for “likes” should be avoided or at the very least treated with great suspicion.

 

Credit Where It’s Due

 

This poem has been doing the rounds for years. It’s popped up as an old man and old woman in the USA, an old woman called “Kate” in the UK and also the old man featured here in Australia (couldn’t find any information on the man pictured, but he certainly is not the author of the poem.)

We like the poem so we reckon it should be attributed to the person who actually wrote it and not preceded by the unnecessarily saccharine and bogus pre-story.

SO. The origins of the poem are pretty hazy, it’s been kicking around in various forms and titles and countries for many years but seemingly the best version of its origins is offered by Joanna Bornat in a 2005 conference paper, “Empathy & Stereotype: the work of a popular poem” who discovered that the poem may actually have been written by Phyllis McCormack in 1966, a nurse in a Scottish hospital.

oldmanpoem

Amongst the responses to a small survey which I carried out in 1998 while researching attitudes to the poem 3 (Bornat, 2004) was a cutting from the Daily Mail newspaper in which the son of Phyllis McCormack, whose name is often linked with the poem as its discoverer, explained:

My mother, Phyllis McCormack, wrote this poem in the early Sixties when
she was a nurse at Sunnyside Hospital in Montrose.
Originally entitled Look Closer Nurse, the poem was written for a small
magazine for Sunnyside only Phyllis was very shy and submitted her work
anonymously.
A copy of the magazine was lent to a patient at Ashludie Hospital, Dundee,
who copied it in her own handwriting and kept it in her bedside locker. When
she died, the copy was found and submitted to the Sunday Post newspaper,
attributed to the Ashludie patient.
Since my mother’s death in 1994 her work has travelled all over the world…
(Daily Mail, 12 March 1998).

Credit where it’s due – and it appears to be due to Phyllis McCormack, 1966.