“Facebook closing all accounts” scam hits users

The latest scam to hit Facebook users is a slight variation of the survey scams that target them daily. But this time, the lure isn’t bogus “OMG” I can’t believe it!” content, but an announcement supposedly coming from Mark Zuckerberg saying that Facebook will close down all accounts:

According to Graham Cluley, the offered link triggers the application permission dialog of a rogue application named “Update your Acc Urgent”, which will supposedly allow the user to keep his or hers account.

A click on the “Allow” button adds the application to the user’s profile, and allows it to – among other things – to post status messages or other content on the user’s Wall – which it does immediately by posting the same message the user fell for.

In the meantime, the user is taken to a Facebook page containing the following (badly written)explanation:

Facebook active account verification process.

Facebook is recently becoming very overpopulated, There have been many members complaining that Facebook is becoming very slow.Record shows that the reason is that there are too many non active Facebook members And on the other site too many new Facebook members. We need each and every user to verify their account with our new verification process to see if Members are active or not, Once you have visited this verification. You have 15 minutes to verify your account.If you are active please verify to show that you are active .On failing to do so, The user will be deleted without hesitation to create more space. Sorry for the trouble!

Regards
CEO,Founder of Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg

A pop-up also appears in which the users are offered a number of surveys from which to choose, and the filling of one of them will supposedly prove that the user’s account is active and prevent its deletion.

Of course, this action has nothing to do with keeping your Facebook account active, and everything to do with keeping the scammers’ pockets filled with money, as they get paid for every completed survey. Users who have fallen for the scam are advised to delete the application and any messages it may have posted on their Wall.