Facebook Video Scam Alert! “Nobody can watch this video for more than 15 seconds”

Although pretty old, this Facebook video scam has again started gaining momentum on Facebook. This post explains what is this all about.

A couple of days back, I saw a post on my Facebook timeline which looked like this:

The post reads “You cannot watch this video for more than 15 secs” and it is accompanied by a video containing a gross/strange-looking image. Most users fall for this trick to see what actually this video is all about. Similar videos may carry a different message which goes “98% of people could not watch this video” and so on.

But what really happens if you click on it?
You will be first taken to a page that looks like Facebook and there you will be asked to do two things before you can watch the video.

1. Share the video with your friends.
2. Take a short survey as the final step.

So, will you get to watch the clip after doing all these? Sadly, NO, because the video does not exist in the first place. This entire scam is to trick you into spreading the fake post to more users, and collect a fair amount of your personal information through the survey. And this information will be shared with telemarketers, unwanted agencies or even hackers. In other cases, this might also install a malware on your computer.

So, what should you do to stay away from such Facebook video scams?

1. Do not share, like, or comment on such posts.
2. If your friend has shared the post, ask them not to share it anymore and help them understand the scam behind it.
3. Report such posts to Facebook marking them as spam.

Note that, there could be other videos that promise to show a footage of a lion taking down a python, or an anaconda swallowing a man whole and other shocking stories. But, mark our words; almost all of these are fake and are created only to scam you.

If you think you should share this post with others, click on the share buttons below. Stay safe!