The number of people who belong to social networks has grown in recent years; however, this increase is why we are removing spam from Facebook. Facebook is one of the world's busiest portals on the Internet, attracting over 350 million visitors each month. Facebook is a spammer's paradise because millions of innocent individuals post confidential information, such as their contact information, for the world to see.
Types of Facebook Spam
Spammers target users with friend requests, applications, phishing messages, groups, and third-party services. Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of e-mail traffic is spam? Facebook risks can be broken down into four categories and include different selling strategies:
- Adult Content: Offers for male and female sexual enhancements and links containing crude or adult-only material
- Health and Medicine: Advertisements for black market and legitimate weight loss and self-improvement pills, skin care products, non-traditional medicine, and cheap prescriptions
- Information Technology: Advertisements for computer optimization software, cheap or discounted hardware, as well as hosting and domain registration services
- Personal Finance: Credit card pre-approval messages, loan and mortgage refinancing, fake money orders, and general finance fraud
Examine Your Notification Queue
Without proper maintenance, your Facebook notification queue can become cluttered and overwhelming. In order to remove Facebook spam you must identify the source. Remove any unwanted application and game requests by clicking the Ignore button. If you have multiple requests for the same application, check the "ignore all requests" box. Check your queue every day and handle any requests you receive in order to keep your workspace clean. If patterns of unwanted requests develop, you should consider blocking the person, group, or application from your account.
Removing Spam from Facebook by Deleting Unknown Friends
If you receive friend requests from people you do not know, click on their name to view their profile. If the person is a complete stranger, ignore the friend request immediately. Another option is to grant them access to your limited profile that contains basic information without your contact information. Never give a stranger full access to your profile. To avoid spam you should browse your friends' list on a monthly basis and delete Facebook Impostors. Spam travels fast on Facebook because once someone has access to your profile he or she can see and contact your friends.
Block Access to Your Profile
Manage who has access to your profile by viewing and modifying your Privacy Settings. Access this part of Facebook by clicking settings from the right hand corner of the top menu bar. Decide who can and cannot view parts of your profile. Pay attention to which people you allow to see your contact information. The safest option is "Only Friends," however; "Friends of Friends" is relatively safe if you are selective as to whom you add. If you have identified spammers, add them to your block list by name or e-mail. Ensure your personal safety by safeguarding your personal data and reporting suspicious activity.
Manage Your Groups
Group administrators and members have the ability to send mass messages and event invites, which cause your inbox to grow rapidly. Review your group associations and revoke your membership from unrelated groups. Identify which groups send you the most messages and event invitations and delete them by clicking on the group name and selecting "leave group."
Remove Unused Applications
Applications hinder your ability in removing spam from Facebook. Applications provide developers access to your information via the Facebook API. Unlike computers, it is easy to install an application or game by accident. Most unknown programs originate from Application Requests sent to you by your friends. In certain cases, your friend does not realize they sent you a request. To view your installed applications go to the Applications menu at the bottom of the screen and click on the "Edit Applications" link.
Facebook contains internal applications, such as Events, Gifts, Groups, Links, Notes, Photos, and Videos, which cannot be deleted. If you see applications that you have never used or recognized, click the "X" to the right of the application. To modify an application's permissions, click on the edit settings button. It is in your best interest to be selective about the applications you install. Reducing your involvement with games will help reduce the amount of spam you receive on a daily basis.
