Facebook users BEWARE! There’s a whole lot of Phishing going on

Wikipedia.org defines Phishing as follows:

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

That is precisely what is happening every time you click the “LIKE” button when you see one of these posts.

Image posts similar to this one are running ramped all over Facebook!

Once the user clicks the LIKE button, the originating post profile is notified, and they start looking over your page for any information they could use to steal your identity online. Even if they are NOT friends with you on Facebook, and depending on how your privacy settings are modified, they could easily see everything from your location, images, friends and date of birth.

Next, they use your images to create a phony profile, and begin sending friend requests to your existing connections. Since your friends just assume that you’ve created a new profile, they approve the request, and the scenario repeats itself. A new identity is stolen, and your privacy rights have been once again violated!

Even worse, they’ve also used image of handicapped children off of personal profiles, and create similar images to the one viewed above. These images usually say something like, “Click LIKE if you want to find the underlying truth behind the increased cases of autism!”

Now, you are simply trying to support a good cause, but do you really think the cure for autism is found via a Facebook LIKE? And even if there were progressions in medical research, do you imagine your name sitting on a list of concerned citizens waiting to be notified?

DO NOT SHARE THE IMAGE!

The reality is, that people are out there trying to leverage you desires for a better world, and using your emotions to pluck out and taint your identity.

The absolute only way these shameless acts of theft will cease, is if you STOP taking action when directed to click the LIKE button! Unless you know where the picture originated from, and completely trusts the source…

USE CAUTION!

Facebook remains a great tool for increasing your social circle, touching base with long-lost friends and building a credible customer following online. But like anything that starts out harmless, it only takes a few bad apples to sour the entire batch.

The person who chooses to stay informed, stays safe!

Be sure to forward this post on to any Facebook users whom you think it would help.

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It’s a great way to stay connected, as long as you watch out, and are able to recognize the SCAMS! ~Andy