Warning: 'Be Like Bill' meme could pose serious security risk
Chances are you've seen it all over your Facebook feed.
'Bill is smart. Be like Bill.' memes are the biggest craze on social media right now. It allows for your Facebook friends to get a little laugh out of your automatically generated result, but it can also pose a serious threat to your computer.
It's known as 'clickbait', and if you haven't read the terms and conditions on the creator's website, the details may shock you.
According to KFVS-TV in Missouri, the generator Blobla says in its terms, that it does not collect any data from the user's Facebook account when you share content from its site.
The company originally said in its terms of privacy, "You will allow us to use, edit your content with our service permanently, no limit and no recover."
KFVS-TV also says, in some cases, content can contain viruses that can damage your computer, use your Facebook profile in ways you might not know, or even attempt to steal your credit card or bank account numbers.
If you've already shared the post, or think you may be at risk, the Better Business Bureau has steps for you to follow:
Stay away from promotions of "exclusive," "shocking" or "sensational" pictures or video. If it sounds too outlandish to be true, it is probably a scam.
Hover over a link to see its true destination. Before you click, mouse over the link to see where it will take you. Don't click on links leading to unfamiliar websites.
Confirm before you trust your "friends" online. It might not actually be your friends who are "liking" or sharing scam links to photos, quizzes or games. Their account may have been hacked and scammers could be using another tactic called "clickjacking". Clickjacking is a technique that scammers use to trick you into clicking on social media links that you would not usually click on.
Change your password if you think your account has been compromised.
Report scam posts on Facebook by following these instructions.
Report malware or spam on Twitter by following these instructions.