A post circulating via Facebook has been causing a degree of confusion among some users. The post features a grey image that includes the words ‘This Photo only viewable by FacebookPremium® Users’.
The current version of the post has ridden on the back of an absurd hoax message that claimed that Facebook was about to start charging users to keep their information private.
But, the message is just a prank. The grey box does not hide an image that is only available to ‘Premium’ users. There is no ‘FacebookPremium®’.
Other pranksters ran with the idea and began posting comments such as ‘This comment only viewable by FacebookPremium Users’.
So, FacebookPremium is just a silly prank and nothing you need to be concerned about.
In fact, such pranks are nothing new. Other, equally false versions have promised FacebookPlatinum or Facebook Gold accounts. And, the same pranks have been used to target members of other social networks and websites.
Do keep in mind, however, that similar tactics have been used in the past to trick Facebookers into divulging their login details via phishing websites.
A screenshot of the post:
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
