The Better Business Bureau is warning your Facebook site can be targeted by hackers, scam artists and ID thieves.
Facebook and other social networking sites are extremely popular because they allow us to connect and reconnect with people we know and trust. Scammers take advantage of that trust. Some of the top scams that have hit Facebook recently include the Friend in Distress Scam, the Koobface Virus, and the Viral Wall Post.
In the Friend in Distress Scam you get an email from a friend who says they are in trouble -- maybe stranded in a foreign country -- and need money wired to them.
The Koobface virus is spread when you get a message apparently from a friend saying "you look awesome or you look funny in this video". You're directed to an outside website and then instructed to download an updated version of Flash to view it. Agreeing to the update actually installs the virus. It can allow hackers to retrieve personal information and is very difficult to remove.
The Viral wall post is a similar scam which directs you to an outside page to view a photo. But-clicking on the link will allow hackers to gain access to your personal account and post the same message -- seemingly coming from you on your friends' walls.
To limit your risk, keep private information private. Take down unnecessary personal information. It's not being coy to withhold your year of birth. That information can be enough to make you a victim of ID theft. The same applies to your phone numbers and addresses.
Be extremely wary of messages that direct you to another web site via a hyperlink.
Use your computer's antivirus and firewall software and update them regularly. And finally be selective when choosing friends. You might not want to be rude, but you should decline a request for friendship if you don't actually know the person.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.
