Facebook Scams

[Truth Detector]

This week I got two private messages from two different scam artists telling me about some long lost relative who died and left behind a bunch of money. Funny thing is they both name the "relative" but one says he died in a plane crash and the other says it was a car crash. I'm sure it's two accounts by the same person but it still has me wanting to reach through the screen and cause some harm.

My question is this: What can I do about it? Can I turn these over to authorities?

[indyracefan]

This week I got two private messages from two different scam artists telling me about some long lost relative who died and left behind a bunch of money. Funny thing is they both name the "relative" but one says he died in a plane crash and the other says it was a car crash. I'm sure it's two accounts by the same person but it still has me wanting to reach through the screen and cause some harm.

My question is this: What can I do about it? Can I turn these over to authorities?

Report it to Facebook. There's a 'report' tab on the top right hand side of the message box.

[cheeseczar]

change your password. twice.

[Truth Detector]

My password hasn't been compromised. They just sent me a PM. Anybody can do that.

[skypigeon]

Get the #$@$ out of Farmville.

Serious answer: Look through your friends list and make sure everyone in it is someone you at least vaguely know. Get rid of the ones who aren't. Leave the ego and security issues about "having" to have hundreds of "friends" to the kids. (Not saying you don't already; just speaking in general.)

[Truth Detector]

Report it to Facebook. There's a 'report' tab on the top right hand side of the message box.

Done.

Thanks.

[Truth Detector]

Get the #$@$ out of Farmville.

Serious answer: Look through your friends list and make sure everyone in it is someone you at least vaguely know. Get rid of the ones who aren't. Leave the ego and security issues about "having" to have hundreds of "friends" to the kids. (Not saying you don't already; just speaking in general.)

Don't play Farmville. Friends are all people I know.

[indyracefan]

Don't play Farmville. Friends are all people I know.

Yep, I don't play any games either and all my 'friends' are people I know. I have a friend that plays several games and has a ton of friends he has no idea who they are. I've warned him countlessly not to do that or at the very least delete them once he has them in the game.

He has gotten a couple of trojans or virus's by clicking on those bogus claims that say you gain something in the game by people he doesn't know sending him links to such. After most people being on the internet for at least 10 years how is some still click on links that they don't really know what they're clicking? Shouldn't you know better by now??

[stnkypete]

Sorry for both of your losses.

[indyracefan]

Sorry for both of your losses.

[Frank Capua]

Leaving facebook works.

[Davydd]

Facebook scams are no different than e-mail scams but I think on Facebook you have a lot more security controls to deal with it and an ability to report them. Few ISP have any capability to deal with e-mail scammers.

[fivehundred2go]

I do not play the apps - seems most have an ability to tell too much - i have friends who request and i just don't do it

[indyracefan]

I do not play the apps - seems most have an ability to tell too much - i have friends who request and i just don't do it

Yep, I don't do those anymore either. In fact I have them blocked so I don't even get the invitations from anyone.

[skypigeon]

Yep, I don't do those anymore either. In fact I have them blocked so I don't even get the invitations from anyone.

Often the invitations are automatically sent--your friend doesn't even know he or she posted it until it's already happened. I've had to kill a few of those.