Hot Dates & Social Engineering in Facebook Apps

Adam Tinworth
Adam Tinworth

Sure, number one (let’s call her BB) is newly-single, but I’m sure she doesn’t need help finding dates. Number two is in Russia…and numbers 4 and 6 are married. So, unless there’s something I don’t know about their marriages…

Joking aside, this is clearly a ham-fisted attempt to enouage people to stop ignoring the growing waves of app-spam through some social engineering. I’ve had several request in recent weeks, all saying that my friend needs help to, say, get another $500 of virtual poker chips or more ranks at her court. 
And to me, it reeks of desperation. The app developers can no longer rely on waves of friend-to-friend app spam to spread their wares, and so they have to try to make emotional connections to achieve the same thing. I don’t think it’s going to work unless they can make these appeals look like they come more directly from the friend – and that’s moving into the realms of outright deception.
Perhaps the much-needed app shakedown is upon us. 
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Adam is a lecturer, trainer and writer. He's been a blogger for over 20 years, and a journalist for more than 30. He lectures on audience strategy and engagement at City, University of London.

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