Thousands of Facebook users have been tricked into signing up for a premium rate mobile phone service, believing they were registering to beta-test the upcoming Apple iPad.
This is according to IT security and data protection firm, Sophos. Examples of these pages include 'iPad researcher wanted - get an iPad early and keep it' and 'The mega iPad giveaway', states the company.
Sophos explains that the scam pages typically take their intended victims through a three-step process, by first inviting users to 'become a fan' of the page. The scam then encourages users to invite their friends to also become fans, and take part in the 'special promotion'.
The last step calls for users to 'claim' or 'apply' for their prize. When the victim does this, they are typically taken to an online quiz, explains Sophos, and their cellphone number is requested so they can be sent the results.
“If inviting all of your friends to participate in a scheme that you haven't properly investigated isn't bad enough, the biggest mistake of all is to hand over your mobile phone number," warns Brett Myroff, CEO of regional Sophos distributor, Sophos SA.
"You will be signed up for a premium rate service, costing you in the region of $10 every week, until you unsubscribe. The scammers who created the fake iPad Facebook pages are undoubtedly skimming off some of this money by bringing new unwitting subscribers to the cellphone service," he adds.
These attacks are, according to Sophos, the latest evidence of a growth in criminal attacks via social networks. The company advises social networkers not to invite their friends to join any Facebook page or application until they have properly researched it.
Furthermore, users should never be tempted to hand over their mobile phone number to receive the results of Internet quizzes, warns Sophos.
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