A new scam making its way around Facebook is hoping to lure victims by tapping into two of their more primal instincts — anger and lust.
Researcher at the security firm Sophos have noticed Facebook wall posts with the message "This American GUY must be Stoned to De@th for doing this to a GIRL!!!" Beneath this impassioned plea is a link beginning with http://apps.facebook.
Users that are riled up enough to click on the link and find out what exactly the "GUY" did are then taken to another page showing a fake video thumbnail of a very scantily dressed girl with her back up against a door, presumably blocking someone from entering.
"You can imagine that this is going to be hard for many hot blooded males with a twitchy mouse finer to resist," wrote Graham Cluley, Sophos' senior technology consultant.
Hitting the play button on the video doesn’t satisfy curiosities — instead it takes users to a page that prompts them to grant the scammers access to their name, user ID and list of friends. After that an online survey pops up, Sophos reported, and "meanwhile, your Facebook profile has spread the message on virally to your other Facebook friends."
Cybersecurity professionals urge people to be suspicious of links, even if they appear to come from Facebook friends, and to never divulge personal information if you aren’t completely sure of the source.
