Facebook 'Price Grid' Membership Message -- Just a Hoax: Sophos

The cyber world has been getting overpopulated with the Facebook-related hoaxes and rumours since the social networking giant has announced the significant changes to its Open Graph platform, in last week's F8 conference in San Francisco, allowing more sharing than ever before.  

Facebook 'Price Grid' Membership Message -- Just a Hoax: Sophos

Reality of a hoax Facebook message just shared here earlier today while a lot of Facebookers were warned over the weekend against a new scam claiming the Facebook may charge a $9.99 “gold membership" unless users forward a message before midnight.

The message looks like below: 

Facebook Price Grid Hoax Message

And reads like ....

FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO...IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES

The message claims that Facebook just released a “price grid" for membership, including $9.99 a month for Gold Member services, $6.99 for Silver Member services, and $3.99 for Bronze Member services. The message further claims that Facebook will continue to be free “IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT"

This tricky hoax has forced many users into “sharing", posting and re-posting, the message with their contacts and friends, just to save themselves from the charges between $3.99 and $9.99 a month.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant in Sophos – a well-known computer security firm, said in a blog post:

“It’s amazing what people will believe when they are sent a message from a trusted friend - but let me assure you, Facebook is *not* going to ask you for your payment when you sign onto the site tomorrow morning. And no, the announcement of Facebook beginning to charge its users has *not* been on the news."