If you're one of those people whose social life would crash and burn without Facebook, the last thing you want to see in your e-mail is a warning that Facebook wants to cancel your account. It doesn't. Someone slick with computers has developed a clever scam to trick you.
Here's how to avoid it.
The scam starts with an e-mail saying Facebook has received a request to cancel your account. It prompts you to follow a link. If you do, the Better Business Bureau warns, you'll be prompted to run an application that allows hackers to spy on your computer activities (presumably including reading your passwords to bank accounts) and take control of your computer.
The BBB says it got word of the scam from a computer security blog, Naked Security.
What's particularly clever about this is that the link you're prompted to follow appears to be official because it goes to a Facebook address. But it doesn't, the BBB says. It links to a third-party application running on the Facebook platform.
The bottom line: If you didn't request to cancel your account, it shouldn't be canceled. If you get a warning like this and want to check it out, log into your Facebook account and look for any messages, or contact Facebook. Never click on links or follow prompts in e-mails like this.
