Face Book Scam!!!!!!!

OMG, guys! Justin Bieber punched a girl!

No, he didn't. But -- from distracting beach babes to 'Dislike' buttons -- every Facebook scam targets our deepest desires, and this latest one is no different. Whether you're a tween 'Tiger Beat' fan or a gentleman who takes his teen pop with a side of schadenfreude, you would probably not be able to resist a link that promises to show you Bieber smacking a girl around. And that's exactly why the newest con making its way around the 'book is exploiting people's insatiable appetite for the boy, his bangs and the possibility of some adolescent blood.

The most common version is being passed around as a wall post that reads, "OH MY GOD!...Justin BIEBER Hits Girl For NO Reason! OMG! This Is So Badd!" Clicking the post's link leads to an image of a young girl with a Fox News logo in one corner, and a giant invitation for you to "click here" in another. Clicking the picture then attempts to install a piece of Facebook malware, and asks you to grant it permission to send you e-mail, pilfer your friends list and post updates to your Wall. If you're foolish enough to give it these permissions, you're then presented with the all-too-familiar scam survey that earns revenue for the hucksters behind the app. While you're busy answering questions to win a free iPad or an Ikea gift card, the app begins re-posting a link to itself on your wall, and messaging your friends with slight variations on the original theme.

But don't worry; if you've been trapped, removing the app is simple. Go to the Applications and Websites page (under Privacy Settings), and remove the app along with any unfamiliar "likes or interests." (It's probably good form to post a message to your friends, apologizing for your Bieber Fever, and telling them not to click on the link you posted earlier.) Scams spreading through social networks are nothing new, but the fact that this is masquerading as a legitimate Facebook app highlights the problems that Zuckerberg and crew have had with serving as gatekeeper to applications and with keeping users and their data safe