The continued presence of Facebook Chat/Messages spam provides another reminder that just because a friend posts a link, it doesn’t mean that the link is safe to visit.
An inherent problem with social media websites like Facebook – a site dedicated to sharing content between friends – is that hijacked accounts that post spam links are likely to appear less suspicious to the friends of that account.
After all if you see a link posted from a friend, you’ll probably assume your friend posted it. And when those links are being sent to you through Facebook Chat (also referred to as Facebook Messages), the chances of luring a click are even greater. Which is why Facebook Chat spam is still a favourite used by many scammers.
Phishing scams that steal a user’s Facebook login information, downloaded malicious browser extensions or installed rogue Facebook applications are all capable of causing a Facebook account to post links from an account through Facebook Chat.
Such links and messages sent through Chat are designed purely to induce a click. Examples of the messages include –
Upon clicking these spam links, users may be directed to any number of scams, including…
1. Phishing scams, that direct users to a spoof Facebook login page which steals login information when entered, thus potentially giving scammers access to the Facebook account to further spread the scam.
2. Rogue Facebook apps that can request permission to post messages from your account
3. Malware/Browser Extension malware that can direct users to external websites that lure victims into downloading harmful files onto their computer that can hijack a Facebook account and post messages from it.
Of course this type of spam also applies to links posted via status updates and on other social media sites such as Twitter and Google +.
So the advice – the same advice which we have posted countless times on this site – is to be careful when clicking links on social media and always remember that just because a friend posts a link, it doesn’t mean it is safe.
As always, be careful out there.
