Is "Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research" a Scam?

Is Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research a Scam?

Facebook users, be aware of "Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research" email surveys similar to the one below that are being sent by scammers. Because Facebook occasionally sends out similar surveys, it is hard to tell which ones are legitimate and which ones are being sent by online scammers or cybercriminals. Some online users will tell you that once an email came from a Facebook.com email address it is safe to assume the email is legitimate. But, that is not true, simply because email addresses can be spoofed, meaning, cybercriminals can make an email message appear as if it came from Facebook although it was sent by them. Therefore, the "From" or the sender's address of an email message should never be used to determine if it is 100% legitimate or not.

Sample of an "Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research" Email

From: Facebook User Experience Research <research@support.facebook.com>

Date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 12:00 PM

Subject: Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research

Facebook Research

Hello,

Facebook is holding a series of online interviews, and we’re hoping you might be interested in joining us! We want to learn more about how Facebook users interact with different brands' Pages. As a token of our appreciation, you’ll receive $150 for your time. To qualify, you need to be 18+ and available to participate sometime between 11/14 - 11/20.

If you are interested in participating, please click below to complete a brief survey. If you are selected for the study, you will receive a follow-up phone call with more details.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/

Thanks,

Catie Franklin | Facebook Research

1 Facebook Way | Menlo Park | 94025 | CA, USA

So, how can you tell if a Facebook survey email message is legitimate or not? Well, the best way is to ask Facebook. Yes, you can ask the Facebook Help Community to help verify the legitimacy of an email message.

This is how it works:

  • click here to visit the Facebook Help Community
  • click the "Ask a Question" button on the Facebook Help Community website
  • select a topic, then a sub-topic
  • ask the following question: "Is this email 'Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research' legitimate?"
  • click the "Next" button
  • Facebook will display a list of related questions, if your question is listed, click on it to view the answers, otherwise, click the "My Question is New" and then copy and paste the body of the email message in the text box on the screen that comes up
  • click the "Post" button to submit your question
  • re-visit after a few hours to view the answer(s) to your question

To prevent online scammers from tricking users into taking fake Facebook surveys that steal personal information, Facebook should announce their surveys in the Notification box of Facebook users' accounts, or announce them in a post in their News Feed, instead of sending them via emails.

Click here for information about Email Spoofing.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.
Was this article helpful?  +
  • YesLike (0)
  •       
  • NoDislike (0)   
Share this with others:
Facebook
WhatsApp
Twitter
Reddit
Pinterest
Line Me
Save
Donate

Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 1)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

Your post will be set as anonymous because you are not signed in. An anonymous post cannot be edited or deleted, therefore, review it carefully before posting. Sign-in.

The comments, reviews or answers below do not necessarily reflect the views of Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

  • January 10, 2018 at 4:27 PM by info

    Here is another scam:

    "Facebook User Experience Research"

    <research@support.facebook.com>

    Facebook Research

    Hello,

    Facebook is holding a Mobile Research study and we’re hoping you might be interested in participating! The study will be held remotely and you can participate from wherever you are using your mobile phone over the 4-day period Saturday, January 13th through Tuesday, January 16th. As a thank you, if you are selected and complete participation, you will receive a $125 Amazon e-gift card. Participants will also have the opportunity to be selected for a follow-up remote video interview and receive an additional $75 Amazon e-gift card.

    If you are interested in participating, please Click Here to complete this brief questionnaire.

    We will contact you directly if you are selected for the study.

    Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

    Thank you,

    Keisha Amador | Facebook Research

    1 Facebook Way | Menlo Park | 94025 | CA, US

    Learn more about Facebook Research here"

Comments Show More Comments (0)

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

Is "Invitation to Participate in Facebook Research" a Scam?