Scams target anti-Timeline Facebook users

— -- What do you think about the new Facebook Timeline? Many of us are big fans, but a significant number of change-fearing consumers simply want the service back the way it was.

Of course, where there's unrest, there are scammers looking to take advantage of the situation. It should be no surprise that not long after Facebook rolled out its brand new function, an assortment of fraudulent pages started to pop up promising the ability to revert to the old profile.

Stop me if you've heard this one

It's a similar scenario to the dislike button hoax that sweeps the network every few months. The hoax pages, just like many others on social networking sites, require users to click Like buttons, download files, watch videos, answer questions and — inevitably — invite friends.

At the very least, pages like this are annoying, providing spammy wall posts and constant messages to friends or showing endless pages of advertising. At the other end of the spectrum, they can be quite nasty, forcing users to install malware or other unpleasant software compromising their computer security. As much as you may dislike the new Timeline, surely it's not worth virtually handing over your credit card details!

How the scam works

Many of the pages offer the same promise: a plug-in for your browser that will "disable" the new Timeline functionality. The developers even add helpful hints advising users to ignore software warnings that extensions, plug-ins, and other apps "can harm your computer." The developers also suggest that you should "allow up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect," which is a cute way of covering up the fact that absolutely nothing will happen.

Here to stay

The problem: Once you opt in to the new Timeline, it's permanently switched over. Within a few weeks, everybody on Facebook will be forced into the new layout (like it or not).

As a company, Facebook has tried to educate its millions of users, pointing out options, updating security information, and answering privacy concerns. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's been enough, with more than 70,000 people joining anti-Timeline pages across the board.

What can you do?

Given the sheer number of pages and groups created every hour, Facebook does not have the time or manpower to hunt down every fraudulent entry. Instead, the company relies on you to point out things that aren't quite what they seem. On each page or group, there is an option to "report this page" shown in the left-hand menu, under Likes. By taking the time to report pages that are offensive, fraudulent, or otherwise breaching the terms and conditions of the site, you can help make Facebook a better, safer place.

Another great idea is to take a look at the Facebook Security page and click the Like button. While the page hasn't been updated to include information on this latest scam, it's still a great spot to find out what's happening on the site. Live chats with staff, security hints and tips, and information about new features — it's a great resource.

Keep your wits about you