A Facebook phishing scheme makes it appear as if users are getting a message in their inbox from company CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Hoax Slayer identified the scheme, which involves users receiving a message from someone whose name is Mark Zurckerberg. If you don’t look closely enough, it looks like the message is coming from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s CEO.
The message contains several spacing and grammatical errors and claims that the user violated Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s terms of service. It also says the user’s account could be “permanently suspended” and that those believe it’s a mistake can “verify” their account by clicking on the link in the message.
Of course you should never click on a link if you’re not sure about it, and this certainly applies to the link in the Facebook messages coming from Mark Zurckerberg. According to Hoax Slayer, the message is simply targeting users in an attempt to collect their login information. Those who click on the link are taken to a false Facebook login page that looks like the real one. After entering in their login information, users are taken to the real help center on Facebook, while their login information goes right into the phisher’s hands.
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) users should remember that they will receive a message if Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) does detect a violation of its terms of services. However, that message certainly wouldn’t come from Zuckerberg.
Users who receive any message telling them to click on a link are advised not to do so. If there is a real problem with a Facebook account, it is advised to simply go directly to Facebook.com on the browser and then log in with the site directly. The problem should still appear in the account itself if it is a real issue. Users can also contact Facebook’s help desk directly if they have questions about a message.
