On the heels of Facebook's announcement that it may or may not be working on a dislike button comes a new wave of cyber scams that prey on those hoping for its adoption.
Security firm Sophos recently caught wind of a new "dislike" button scam making the rounds — a ruse that dates back to at least 2011. This time around, scammers are claiming that the dislike button is an "invite only feature" in a bid to get you to click a download link.
"If you click through, the scam unfolds like many 'you know you want this' tricks we've written about before, on Facebook and on other social networks," Sophos' Paul Ducklin wrote in a blog post. "To go forward, you must first recommend — in fact, you must actively promote — the link you just clicked on."
The scammers up the pressure by saying you only have a certain amount of seconds to "complete the participation requirements." That includes sharing the link with your friends and sending it to five Groups that you belong to.
As a rule of thumb, users should be cautious of these types of posts. "If a posting expects you to advertise it before you know what you are promoting, DON'T DO IT," Ducklin said.
Regardless of whether or not you end up completing all the steps, you'll be redirected to one or more revenue-generating sites which have nothing to do with Facebook or a dislike button, and instead aim to trick you into handing over your personal information. One of the sites is a get-rich-quick scheme promising a $1,419 return in the first hour and another asks you to complete a survey of your choosing.
"Typically, the crooks will have signed up as affiliates for the surveys or software downloads you're being offered, and will be paid a small fee if you sign up," Ducklin wrote. "That's how they make their money."
In the end, those who fall for the scam never get the "invite only" Dislike button they were promised, because it's all fake — there isn't one.