(but I've had fun with it nevertheless)
I have removed all active links, so dondwary.
IT'S OFFICIAL: I'VE BEEN PHISHED!
Also if anyone knows of a direct and easy way to alert real Facebook of this phishing scam, I'd appreciate it. I've already spent close to half an hour trying to find which help form would apply to this issue. Facebook makes it so difficult to contact them about an email scam, I've given up. (You mean you think perhaps the *real* Facebook is behind the scam, then? Hmnnn...:)
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Has anyone else received an email from Facebook reminding you that you invited yourself to become your friend? And suggesting you add friends who are your own Facebook friends? Duh?! Scam?
Hahaahha... no, I didn't consider actually joining myself on Facebook! I'm still wondering why Facebook sent a "Reminder" that I, myself, invited myself to join myself and that I might like some of my own friends and become friends with them too.
Note: I found 3 other "Brenda Clews's" in the turning world of Facebook, and sent invites some months back, but they all ignored me - wacko Brenda Clews from Canada I guess - I thought it'd be fun to be "friends" with women with one's own name, but I swear up & down and all over Facebook that I DID NOT send an invite to myself. No. I did not.
BTW, *Facebook* sent this email to an email that I didn't list with Facebook but have at other sites, an email account I have set to automatically forward to the email account I regularly use. So it's a scam.
And here I thought Facebook was becoming existential on us! Theatre of the Absurd, and all that. The Surrealism of Facebook life. :-)
And the email address it's from is wonky. SPAMMERSSPAMMERSSPAMMERS or PHISHY-SCAMMERSSCAMMERSSCAMMERS-PHISHY-SCAMMERS-PHISHY-PHISHY
this is too funny Brenda, I wish I was a victim of a scam like that!
ReplyDeleteCareful what you wish/phish for!
ReplyDeleteit's almost as funny as that time I commented on your soul, remember Brenda?
ReplyDeleteYes, I do remember, Boris. You are a droll scamp, you really are!
ReplyDeletehave not heard of this one 'til now.
ReplyDeletehope you will send it in to facebook under ANY category. eventually someone will read it.
Facebook makes it too difficult to register an issue. I can't spend yet another half hour there trying to fill out their forms. Unlike Google, there doesn't seem to be a specific link for phishing scams, or any others either.
ReplyDeleteI posted a link through to Facebook when I wrote this piece. They have trollers. They've seen it for sure.
Perhaps it was Facebook itself?
The links all had excessively long lines of numbers in them, impossible to tell, and of course I didn't click on anything at all. Only depotentiated all the links for posting here.
I'm taking it as one of those absurdist jokes. And it is quite funny!
I just got this same email. I found your posting through google, so just wanted to say that this is still happening 5 days later.
ReplyDeleteI have my own domain so the email was sent to an address on my domain I have never used, but the address did use my first name (I use my nickname for my address).
I would think it's a scam too, but all the domains in the header check out, this really came from Facebook and all the links in the email link to the real facebook or facebookmail, which is also owned by them.
I think they have a bug in their mailing software, or some weird security hole someone is using just to mess with users.
Phil, thank you for sharing this. If you clicked on the links, you're braver than I! That it was sent to an email I had not registered with Facebook caused alarm bells to ring.
ReplyDeletePossibilities:
-Facebook has a legitamit bug in the system, a recursive kink, that needs a straightening iron.
-Someone at Facebook is having fun harmlessly phishing its own users with themselves. Cultural theorists could have fun with the implications on notions of the self contained in this 'befriending of oneself' too!
-Facebook has been hacked into by an evil genius and this is just the beginning.
I mean, when Swahili scholars arrange for a Swahili Facebook "to preserve the language" we know we are talking huge social media site with the power to conserve languages!
If you contact Facebook and hear anything back, I'd love to know.
The same thing has happened to me. I have many email addresses that I use, and have been receiving spurious invitations that I thought were phishing, but all link back to the genuine Facebook site.
ReplyDeleteThe format of my invitation is different from the one in your example. It reads "(My name) wants to be your friend on Facebook. No matter how far away you are from friends and family, Facebook can help you stay connected.
Other people have asked to be your friend on Facebook. Accept this invitation to see your previous friend requests."
I submitted an "abuse report" at Facebook and will see what happens.
(PS, I am also a Canadian.)