Scamming on Facebook

We've written in the past about avoiding e-mail scams, but as social networking (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.) expands...so do the scams. Recently, it was reported on CNET.com that one of the old classics, the Nigerian scam, has hit Facebook.

In such scams, the con artist tries to solicit money through a letter, either by hard, or more commonly now, soft copy. They tell a story of some sadness and heartache as to how they've come to need money, then request you, the target, to send it on.

So be wary of any requests you get from your social sites...even if it seems to be from your best bud. Give them a ring to make sure it is actually them stuck in Lagos needing the money before you wire it over.

Read more about the story in the Sydney Morning Herald or CNET.com.