It's a funny - and growing - trend that you've probably seen on your Facebook pages: an image of a stick figure wearing a hat.
The stick figure typically has wording on the left that starts with "This is" and is usually the name of the Facebook friend sharing the image. It ends with a "Be like" or "Don't be like" the same Facebook friend.
The meme is called “Be like Bill,” and Facebook users generate the images with a site usually linked within the post itself called Blobla.com.
Bill is smart. Be like Bill
Posted by Be like Bill on Friday, January 15, 2016
But clicking the link and giving the site permission to access your Facebook information could cause some major privacy concerns and possibly expose your computer to viruses.
The site contains the phrase, “You will allow us to use, edit your content with our service permanently, no limit and no recover."
Sites with similar generators or quizzes have used your Facebook account to violate users' privacy with offenses ranging from post on your timeline to stealing personal information like phone numbers and email addresses.
The Better Business Bureau offers suggestions for avoiding Facebook and other social media scams:
Hover over the link to see the true destination.
Watch for phrases like “you won’t believe what happens when…,” “shocking video” and sensational images or headlines.
Use these same methods to be sure your friends' profiles are not compromised.
Use Facebook or Twitter tools to report spam or scams.
