Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
We’ve all seen a lot of emotional posts and images on Facebook — and it’s almost second nature for many people to “like” just about anything, whether to acknowledge you saw the post or just because you’re so used to it by now.
But before you “like” just any post, you need to be aware of how scammers are taking advantage of this involuntary impulse to click on Facebook.
Sadly, while some of these posts about children in need are real, most of them are fake — a scam called ‘like farming’ that crooks use to trick unsuspecting Facebook users into handing over info or becoming a victim of some other type of scam.
Scammers post images and stories that will grab users’ attention in order to entice them to like, comment and share. And as more people engage with the post, the more it will continue to pop up in users’ news feeds — which means more exposure for the scammers.
You may hesitate and wonder if the story is actually real, but since thousands of other people have commented or liked it, what harm could it really do if you simply just like the post or or page to see what it’s about?
Unfortunately, a lot.
Read more: The #1 Facebook security feature you probably aren’t using
Here’s how it typically works: scammers post something that appears to be totally harmless — or they create a fake Facebook page that appears totally harmless.
The post or page may be about anything — but it will always be something that grabs your attention.
For example, you may be scrolling through your news feed and and see a horrifying image that tells the story of a sick or injured child who needs help. The post has thousands of shares, likes and comments — and often and asks users for some type of donation.
The posts may request help in a few different ways. Here are some examples:
The crooks will then collect information from any users who interacted with the post or fake page in order to carry out some type of scam.
Read more: How to spot fake offers on Facebook
Even if the post doesn’t ask for you to provide any information or donation — maybe just a like — it could still come back to haunt you. Very often, once a post like this gains enough traction — a certain number of likes, shares and/or comments — the scammers will go back into the post and edit it to include something malicious.
In some cases, the scammers will spam users directly, requesting more info — related to the fake story or donation plea — or sell the user’s personal and contact information to other criminals.
Scammers use fake Facebook pages to do the same. Maybe you liked some random page about animals that a lot of people were suddenly interested in, then all of a sudden (even months later), the scammers will use the page to send out spam and scam posts — which may include phishing scams, malicious downloads or fake notifications that you’ve won a prize. And since you liked the page, all of the scammers’ posts will appear in your news feed.
Then all it takes is one post to trick you into entering your phone number or other personal data to claim your prize — or whatever the fake post is offering. Any of the various tactics used by the scammers may result in stolen credit card numbers, banking info and other sensitive data, according to the Better Business Bureau.
The goal is to grab your attention and get you to take some sort of action — whether it’s to like, share or comment on the post — by offering something in return. A few common ways scammers get you to engage include:
Basically, the scammers are preying on people’s emotional vulnerabilities to trick them into taking action before even thinking about it — whether it’s using a fake horrifying picture of a sick child or by promising you something in return.
If a post claims you will get something free in return for liking, clicking, sharing etc., it’s most likely a scam — regardless of how big or small the freebie is!
There are a couple of common goals that criminals have when carrying out any type of scam on Facebook:
Read more: How to spot a fake coupon online
Red flags that an offer or company on Facebook is fake:
[anvplayer video=”4163665″ station=”998267″]
This post was last modified on September 20, 2017 1:46 pm
If you've been considering signing up for one of the Chase Sapphire credit cards, now…
The costs associated with owning a home go way beyond the amount on the mortgage. …
Inflation hits people on a fixed income the hardest. Say you're retired. You're living off…
Deciding to save and invest are great habits. But once you check that box, your…
If you're considering subscribing to Fubo, you need to be comfortable missing out on some…
Are you looking for a way to earn 2% back on every purchase you make…