How to Stop Facebook Scams!

Free trips, free tickets, free prizes! Facebook is certainly full of them. However, before you jump on that next great offer, pull back that itchy clicking finger and take a minute to really LOOK at what you are sharing. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is. Many of these "offers" floating around Facebook are scams and some can be VERY harmful. In many cases, a quick Google search or a look at Snopes.com will instantly tell you the ad you're seeing is a fake. When deciding what to click on Facebook, a little common sense goes a long way!! Here are some common things you should be looking at before sharing:

This is the latest offer to come through my groups. This particular scam has been circulating since last year and can cause major problems for you! Let's examine it.
1. READ THE CAPTION! Every Disney fan in the world knows that Disneyland has been celebrating their 60TH anniversary all year long. We also know that Walt Disney World is in it's 45th year. So, there is your first red flag.
2. The "ticket" say Walt Disney World and the caption reads "Disneyland". This is NOT an error the company makes.
3. Look at the "website" listed at the bottom. Dot "xyz" is not a valid domain! This is your next tip-off that clicking this link is leading you to a place you do NOT want to go. Most, BUT NOT ALL, of these offers are using the .xyz extension. So even if you see one that doesn't, you still need to be careful.

Now, I've already mentioned this scam has been around since last year and I'm sure you have seen it without even knowing! That's because they have used McDonald's, Burger King, Walmart, Aldi, Target, Rolex, Netflix and just about EVERY major company name in the country to draw you in. But the results of trying to claim these "free" prizes is all the same and it is NOT good. Aside from not giving you anything, they can cause big problems for you. Let's take a look at how:

When you click on these offers, it will take you to a page that leads you believe you are still getting what you want. All you need to do is send this ad to 5 groups. Well, that's your first problem. Many group admins, like myself, who are tired of combating this onslaught of spam have decided that it's much easier to just ban members who share this junk in their groups. You can find yourself losing membership to some of your favorite FB groups by posting these. But that's the least of your problems. Clicking these links also is giving them access to your profile. Soon, you will find out that unbeknownst to you they are posting their spam, phishing and sometimes PORNOGRAPHIC ads to all your groups from YOUR profile! This will definitely get you thrown out of a lot of groups and can also get you locked out of your entire Facebook profile. But what's worse is these hackers are now gaining access to your computers and devices where they can access valuable personal information that could end up costing you BIG financial problems.

Aside from the trouble you are causing for yourself, you are also putting your friends and family at risk by sharing these phony links. Another popular scam is the free Disney trips. You will see a free trip being offered by Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line or some other major company. You click to enter and find a page like the one shown here. BEFORE you share that link, let's think about a few things:
1. Any legitimate contest by Disney will be listed on their official website, such as disneyworld.com or disneycruise.com. Check their website first to see if it's real.
2. Walt Disney World is the number one vacation destination in the world! This FB page has 14,000 likes. Seriously? The real Disney Facebook pages have followers in the tens of millions!
3. See that period at the end of the name? That's a dead giveaway. Copycat pages will have a random period, hyphen, comma or some other punctuation that will tip you off. Also, you can see that the rest of the page has no real Disney posts or news other than the "giveaways".

Also, official Facebook pages will have the checkmark in the circle at the end of their name to let you know they are verified as real.





These are just some of the ways scammers can draw you in. Sadly, they will always come up with new ideas. The only way to stop the harm they cause is by not helping them!! Whether it's Disney, or an "abused" animal, or a "sick" child, or an amazing free offer, ALWAYS take a few minutes to verify that what you are sharing is authentic. Keep yourself and your friends safe by REPORTING these fake links to Facebook. Do NOT share them on your wall or in groups. If you want to post a warning to people, do NOT share the link. Take a screenshot instead to show others. Always THINK before you CLICK!

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