Facebook Dislike Button is a Scam

While there’s an official button to like something on Facebook, there still isn’t an official button to dislike things. And while the social networking site may implement one in the future, a new phishing expedition is currently taking advantage of people’s desire to have a dislike button.

Be warned: if you see a link to dislike something on Facebook, don’t click on it. The link is a scam that will try to extract your personal data.

If you click on the link, you’ll land on an elaborate Facebook dislike button “install” page (note that if the dislike button were real, you wouldn’t need to install it; Facebook would automatically add it to user profiles). If you follow the instructions, you’ll be asked to give the app permission to run, after which you’ll be asked to complete a survey, similar to the surveys found in many other scams we’ve seen recently.

Interestingly enough, the app ultimately points you to an existing Firefox add-on called FaceMod, which dubs itself the “Facebook Dislike Button (the Original),” but the add-on doesn’t seem to be connected to the scam. We haven’t verified whether the add-on works as advertised or if it’s dangerous, but one thing is certain: It is not coming from Facebook and it is not an official Facebook dislike button.

As usual, we advise you not to click on suspicious links on Facebook, especially if they promise something that sounds impossible or unlikely. Do not give away your personal information, unless you’re absolutely sure why and who you’re giving it to. If you’ve fallen for the scam, remove the offending app(s) from your Facebook profile; furthermore, remove the related message from your status, News Feed, and your Likes and Interests in the “Edit my Profile” menu.