Monthly Facebook Charges False Rumor Scam but Hijacks Computers

by hearit

The false rumor, that Facebook will begin to charge its users a monthly fee, is being circulated throughout Facebook protest Groups and Fan Pages: Guess what, people?-you're spreading Malware traps to hijack and take control of your computer.
 
 
Thousands of Facebook users are unhappy with the idea of the $4.99 a month charge, a rumor being spread vehemently across the site, that site users are actively joining protest Groups and becoming Facebook Fans of protests in droves. Supposedly, the [non-existent] Facebook charge is set to start by the online site in June or July. The false Facebook 'charge' rumor has infuriated users-in turn causing them to visit, or join as Facebook Fans, "protest group" sites and pages as a reaction to the false email scams about the rumor that are being circulated.
 
While Facebook no plan to charge users and the rumor is entirely false, what Facebook users are doing is allowing the ability to actively spread Malware that is contained within those 'Protest Pages'. "The protest page was a trap for the unwary; clicking on certain elements of it initiated a script that hijacked users' computers," warns Snopes. "Some of those [Facebook users], who did...click, had their computers taken over by a series of highly objectionable images while Malware simultaneously attempted to install itself onto their computers."
 
Warnings about the false Facebook Charge rumor have been posted since December 31, yet groups on the Facebook sites itself are STILL protesting the supposed upcoming charges now. A Facebook spokesperson has confirmed that the rumor regarding possible Facebook charges to users is entirely FALSE. Despite Facebook's actions and comments disputing the charge, the 'Charging' rumor continues to circulate, creating an environment that could allow abuse of those online users in further black hat SEO attacks.
 
C'mon people can we please have a call to Common Sense here?: HOW is Facebook possibly going to charge users a monthly fee when the company has absolutely no credit or debit card information on file to be able to charge anything? Common Sense dictates checking your facts before spreading falsities to hundreds of thousands. Most disturbing: over 200,000 Facebook users in the United States joined Groups or Fan pages to protest a charge that doesn't exist; that number is matched for the UK. At least idiocy isn't limited to one region.

Location