Facebook: How To Help Your Friends with Security Issues

by Facebook Security on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 5:05pm

Facebook is a large community and we can all do our part to fight spam and improve security of both ourselves and others, by guiding our friends when they are having issues. Here is how you can help:

 

Malware

 

If your friend inadvertently downloaded a malicious file, or suspect they have been infected by malware, they can put themselves in a special malware roadblock here. Roadblock will walk them step-by-step through repairing their machine, and securing their account. It may also be helpful to have them review our malware advice in the Help Center.

 

Hacked and Compromised Accounts

 

If your friend is sending spammy messages or inviting you to visit a suspicious link, they have most likely been compromised. Please advise them to go here so they can re-secure their account. For fastest remediation, make sure to use the computer normally used to login.

 

Money Transfer Scams

 

If your friend suddenly claims he got mugged in London, is stuck in Nigeria, or needs help transferring unclaimed funds and needs you to transfer some money to them - DO NOT SEND MONEY. These are always attempts to scam. You can report your friend's account through the Security Help  Center here.

 

If you have sent money, report it to the money transfer service, and, if you’re in the US, the Federal Trade Commission or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You’ll find more tips and a complete transcript of a real conversation with a scammer here.

 

Clickjacking - Clicked a link and automatically generated a "like" story

 

If you notice a story in your News Feed about a friend liking the Page "OMG!!!! Girl Caught by Dad While Making Video on Facebook", or something similar, they were most likely "clickjacked."

 

Clickjacking is where users are tricked into clicking something that generated a "like" feed story.  Don't worry, your friend hasn't been hacked or compromised. Instruct your friend to navigate to their Wall and locate the unwanted “like” – mouse over – and click the “X” in the top right corner. Select “Remove and Unlike” and the story will disappear.

 

Spread the word.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous