According to AllFacebook.com, the share of games available on Facebook “will grow fivefold by 2013.” This is is why it should be no surprise that hackers are already trying to take advantage of the social media game players out there. Not only them, the scammers went after an even more specialized demographic than just social media gamers, they are targeting the “Twihards” with a fake Facebook Game titled: Twilight: Breaking Dawn. By clicking on the fake app, users are opening their account info up to the scammers as well as opening their account to send out unsolicited messages to “friends.”

Twihards are not necessarily just made up of teens or tweens, the group does consist of adults. However, with such a large contingency of young users who may be naive to phishing (internet scams impersonating a bank or a governming body in order to gain access to your most vital info [social security number/credit card] and/or money.

The latest Internet Scam to rock Facebook is, as mentioned before, related to Twilight. When I first saw it yesterday, I noticed that a local group I  belong to, they were tagged in someone’s photo album, which I found peculiar. Why would a new game have someone tagged if it’s supposed to be a single player game?

Also, as a somewhat Twilight connoisseur, I know for a fact that is not what Bella would look like in an official vectorized drawing or live-still shot. Sure enough, it was listed as a scam. Sadly, this isn’t before a few people gave the program the go ahead to implant its software on the computers of the less fortunate.

Here are the details about the scam, as mentioned by both Mashable and Technorati. According to Mashable’s Stan Schroeder:
‘If you click on the link, you’ll be invited to start playing the game. If you’re using Facebook HTTPS, you will first be prompted to switch to a regular connection, which should alarm some users. This particular scheme will make you ‘Like’ the game without your permission, and it will show on your Wall, thus allowing it to spread further.”

To avoid falling victim to this scam or any others, keep the following in mind:

• Listen to your gut. If you think it sounds off, the chances are high that it is.
• If you are using Facebook in “https:// format,” and a game asks you to turn it off, do not accept!
  

  *Consider this: You should know what kind of program you are working with; is it from a reliable company or not.
  *If you accidentally find yourself clicking on something you shouldn’t, immediately check your profile to make sure that you did not accept the application inadvertently.
  *One of the main complaints about this program and others like it is that someone clicking out of curiosity doesn’t have to hit “Accept” in order for it to actually happen. Just the mere act of clicking the link is all it takes.

• Periodically, you should check your profile’s Page listings to make sure there aren’t any rogue Pages you do not remember authorizing.
• It’s also a good idea to do a sweep of your page via the profile button, to make sure your account hasn’t been sending out rogue  messages.

Here’s a good tip, before you click on a “new game” app link. Stop. Watch. Then click. Google the new Facebook App you see being advertised by your friend or message them and ask. This could just spare you a little frustration in the end.