Security Alert for Facebook Users [Archive]

Sheilz

3rd February 2010, 01:31 AM

I got this message from one of my friends on facebook. Being a cautious soul I followed the instructions and had to block a list of twenty names, all male, from accessing my profile. This despite having privacy settings as tight as I can to prevent people accessing my profile via google.

I've no idea who these men are, possibly scammers, paedos and generally creeps. Perhaps worth those with FB accounts to check theirs out.

I've cut and pasted the message sent to me:

All FB friends. This is important. Do this asap! Go to settings. Click on privacy settings. Click on block users. in the name box enter 'automation labs'. A list of approx 20 people you dont even know will come up. Block each one individually. These people have access to your facebook account/profile and spy on what yo......u are doing!

The Dogfather

3rd February 2010, 07:27 AM

Sorry Shielz its a hoax, most of these things are

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/automationlabs.asp

GCA3N

3rd February 2010, 09:14 AM

Better being safe than sorry.

The Dogfather

3rd February 2010, 11:40 AM

Not really, its always worth checking on snopes.com before sending this on, all that happens is you spread the miss-information

Sheilz

3rd February 2010, 02:12 PM

I don't get why people do that, if it is just a hoax. Since posting another of my friends blocked 22 males from monitoring their profiles. Anyway, though I can see that I might be guilty of having propogated this if it is a hoax, I also think that its right to be safe rather than sorry esp since I have family photos on the site and struggle to get my head round the idea that some weirdo might find images of my youngest useful for sinister purpose.

The Dogfather

3rd February 2010, 03:58 PM

Sheilz, didn't mean to sound critical, I would have done exactly the same as you until a year ago when a friend pulled me up for it.

I was just suggesting that people check these things out before forwarding on, there's hundreds of these types of 'warnings' circulating most are hoaxes.

Sheilz

3rd February 2010, 04:34 PM

Sheilz, didn't mean to sound critical, I would have done exactly the same as you until a year ago when a friend pulled me up for it.

I was just suggesting that people check these things out before forwarding on, there's hundreds of these types of 'warnings' circulating most are hoaxes..

That's ok Paul I didnt feel crticised. Daft if anything! I've never heard of the site you mentioned before.