The most common scam is phishing. A site may ask you to "log in with Facebook to verify you are human." This doesn't verify anything; it sends your username and password directly to the scammers. Once they have your credentials, they can take over your account, scam your friends, or mine it for sensitive personal data.
But this post was different. It didn't ask for his login. It didn't ask for a credit card. It was a single, stark URL: www.viewstate-hidden.net/exclusive .
Avoid clicking on links that claim to offer "secret" access to private profiles. facebook locked profile picture viewer online exclusive
His newsfeed loaded. But something was wrong.
Marcus watched in horror as the "Active Now" green dot appeared next to the nameless profile. The chat window opened automatically. The most common scam is phishing
(right-click, copy image address, paste into Google Images). Sometimes you’ll find a larger version uploaded elsewhere.
Facebook stores images on secure cloud servers. Access permissions are verified on the server side, not on your browser. But this post was different
: The option to click, zoom, or view the profile picture in full resolution is disabled for anyone not on the user's friend list.
The site that loaded was minimalistic, devoid of the usual flashy ads or fake loading bars. It was a simple black background with a single white search bar in the center. Above it, the Facebook logo was crossed out with a red X.