Anatomy of a SCAM

We've all seen them.  They're Facebook pages which promise HUGE rewards for seemingly very little in return - but what exactly IS a FarmVille SCAM, and how can we spot them?

Spotting a scam is easy, because 99.9999% of them are complete scams.  It's an incredibly rare event when Zynga gives ANYTHING away for free.  

It's FAR easier to just assume it's a scam and then try to prove it's NOT a scam, but for the sake of the simple-minded crowd who just can't get it through their heads, we'll point out the obvious and maybe enlighten a few who need it so desperately. 

People who fell for this one are in a special category all on their own. We could improve the Internet 1000% by disconnecting each and every one of them and throwing away their keyboard!

How do I spot a scam?

A Scam will always encourage you to share the page with all your friends.  Most of them require it.  Why?  Because the more people who 'Like' the page, the higher the numbers, makes some people feel as though it MUST be legitimate.  After all, if 5,000 people "Like" something, it must be real, right?

Wrong. There really are a LOT of gullible people in the world.  Let's face it, if these things didn't work for the scammers, they would not bother making these things up.  It's the same with SPAM email - if there were not so many suckers in the world, spammers would not engage in trying to sell you male enhancement pills or a lower interest rate on your mortgage, or inform you that you've won some crazy Nigerian lottery.  Unfortunately, people fall for these things for the same reason they fall for FarmVille Scams - they think they're going to get something for nothing.

So, the Number 1 way to spot a FarmVille Scam is easy: It appears OUTSIDE the game.  It shows up on a feed post on your Facebook page when someone chooses to 'Like' it (also another typical requirement to get the nonexistent prize), or it shows up on a Facebook Page.

Anybody with a Facebook account can create a Facebook Page or Event.  I've created several of them myself, and you can, too.  It's not limited to companies who actually provide us with games.  Every idiot 12 year old boy in the world can create these pages, and there are a LOT of idiot 12 year olds on Facebook.

The Number 2 way to spot a FarmVille Scam is that they promise something unique.  Something nobody else has, or something everyone really wants (i.e. a Halloween Candy Basket).  They lure you in and make you feel like out of the millions of people who are on Facebook, YOU were cool enough to run across some 'secret' page that gets you that one thing you really want.  Newsflash:  You're not that cool, and you didn't find anything that most of us have not already seen and blocked before.

How can I block a scam?

Simple.  Go to the page where the scam is located - if the scam is categorized as a website, game or application, there is an option to block it on the left hand side of the page.  Click on that WITHOUT clicking "Like" or "Suggest to friends" or anything else.  Just click on 'block this application' and you're done.  For more detail on how to do this, check out this blog entry.

What other kinds of scams are there? 

What do they look like?

Some show up as invitations to games which don't even exist.  There IS no FarmVille 2. Click IGNORE.

Some show up as page suggestions.  Click on IGNORE for these.  If you click on Confirm, you will pass the Scam on to others who can see your feed, and you will lend your own credibility to the scam.

Some may show up as "Official Zynga Promotions".  They're not. Just say NO and click IGNORE.

Some will show up as gift requests in Facebook.  These are the really dangerous ones, because if you are NOT paying attention to what you're doing, they're easy to miss.  They show up there because the sender was dumb enough to get themselves infected with the original scam, either by accessing it at the application page or by trying to collect the gift it's offering.

What can I do to help combat FarmVille SCAMS?

Stop "Like"ing them. Report them, and if the developer is listed, report the developer. 

Often times, the developer uses a stolen or bogus account.  Either way, they need to be reported and hopefully Facebook will take action against them.  The more people who report these SCAM pages, the more likely that Facebook will do something to combat and remove them.  The FEWER people who 'Like' and fall for these scams, the lower the likelihood that they'll create more.

Why are these scams even created?  What's the point?


People create these for several reasons:


They enjoy the attention. "Ha ha.  Look how many idiots I fooled today."


The original scam application may contain a trojan.  These things can load on your computer and email people while you're sleeping, post things on your wall (encouraging others to click and become infected, too!), and can even destroy the contents of your computer.  


When YOU "Like" one of these things or become infected, you put EVERYONE on your Facebook friends list at risk.  How long do you think people will tolerate YOUR ignorance putting THEIR computer at risk?


They are searching for victims. Anyone gullible enough to fall for these things probably doesn't set their account security very well, has their personal data open for all to see, and would make a good victim for further exploitation in criminal activity ranging from cell phone fraud to identity theft.


Have YOU fallen for one of these? Don't feel bad, get yourself educated and improve our community by avoiding them in the future.  Know someone who STILL doesn't get it?  Let them know you're going to employ Tough Love until they get it right!


To keep up to date on the Scams that The Faux Farmer runs across, go and "Like" FarmVille Scams.  THAT page is safe, honest.  The only nefarious thing you'll see happening there is the occasional needling of people who fall for these preposterous scams.  


Together, we can make a small difference in keeping our community clean and scam-free.