Fake Facebook Copyright Violation Email Lures Victims into Giving Up Their Login Info
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Facebook users have been receiving phishing emails notifying them that their account is blocked due to a copyright violation. Although some social media apps address copyright violations this one is not legitimate.
The goal of the Facebook phishing scam is to scare victims into thinking that their account is at risk. Messaging sent by the cybercriminals tells the victim they have 24 hours to appeal the copyright violation decision.
Messaging in the phishing email prompts the reader to click on a link to appeal the decision and secure their account.
READ Millions of Facebook User Records for Sale on Dark Web
The scam message says, “Your Facebook account has been disabled for violating the Facebook Terms. If you believe that this decision is incorrect, you may file an appeal at this link,” according to Kaspersky Labs.
If the reader is fooled by this phishing scam email and enters in their login credentials on a spoof web page, their username, email, and password are compromised.
Although the phishing email does not contain typical scammer grammatical errors, it can be spotted because it is sent from an email address that is obviously not connected to Facebook.
However, to help fool the victim and evade spam detection apps, it does contain a link to a now deprecated feature called Facebook Notes. If the reader clicks on the link in the email they are directed to the Notes page which is indeed posted on the legitimate Facebook.
READ Facebook – Forgot Password or Can’t Login?
From here they see instructions on how to appeal the copyright violation. The link on the Facebook Notes page is cloaked to look like it is another link on Facebook. However, it is not. If the reader clicks on it they’re taken to an external online form that phishes for login credentials.
The malicious web page prompts the victim for their name, email address. To add legitimacy the form prompts the reader to add a comment.
Note, that at no point has the Facebook user been informed about what content has prompted the violations notice.
Before submitting the appeal, the victim is prompted to enter their Facebook account password. If they submit it using this form, it is sent directly to the cybercriminals.
“Even the savviest users can get caught off-guard by a well-written, well-designed message that gets through the spam filter, contains what looks like a good link, and generally seems legitimate,” says Kaspersky Labs.
Facebook Phishing Scam – Here’s What to Do
- Don’t click on links in email – even if you think you know the sender.
- Never download email attachments that you were not expecting. Call the sender before clicking
- Many people recycle the same password (or a close variation) across multiple online accounts. Don’t do this either.
- Use a password manager to help you create and remember strong passwords. These apps can sync login info across all of your devices.
- Reset your Facebook password – follow this handy guide
- Look for grammar and spelling errors in scam emails. Cybercriminals are often writing in a language other than their native parlance. This makes them more likely to use awkward wording that gives them away.
- Here are some more handy tips for use in the event of a hack.
