New Scam Preys On Facebook Users’ Desire For A “Dislike” Button

There’s one relatively simple way scammers can hook their prey: by knowing exactly what you really want and acting like they’re giving it to you. But as much as you want to be able to express something other than “like” with a button on Facebook, it’s not here yet, and it’s not going to be invite-only when it does arrive.

Soon after Facebook’s head honcho Mark Zuckerberg said the social network was preparing to debut a new button that wouldn’t necessarily be a “dislike” button, but that could convey empathy for people in situations where a “like” isn’t quite appropriate, scammers are hard at work trying to convince users that they’ve got the goods.

The folks at Hackread (h/t CBS News) report on a scam that’s circulating around Facebook newsfeeds recently, prompting users to click to “get newly introduced facebook dislike button on your profile.” If the uncapitalized Facebook doesn’t tip people off, those who click land on a page that imitates the Facebook brand, and instructs the viewer to share the page and sent it to five groups to activate the button.

Security researchers writing on Naked Security say that clicking those links result in different scam sites that have nothing to do with Facebook or a “dislike” button, both of which try to get people to sign up and give away personal information.

When Facebook does release its alternative to the “like” button, rest assured — you won’t have to do anything special to get access to it, install it or otherwise activate it.

Facebook has said it might start testing the new button in the near feature, and then eventually roll it out more widely to users.

Scammers Targeting Facebook Users with Dislike Button Scam [Hackread]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist