Is this a phishing scam?

[Phil Reynolds]

Just received an email that at first sight looked genuine, but now I'm more or less sure it isn't. Has anyone else seen this, and can anyone offer any suggestions as to what the aim of this might be?

The email is from someone called "Pams Webster" (yep, that's a giveaway right there) and reads as follows:

Take a look at my photos on Facebook

Hi Phil,

I set up a Facebook Profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile.

Thanks,
Pams

To join Facebook, please follow the link below:

etc.

The email appears to have genuinely been generated by Facebook (all the links it contains point to pages on facebook.com, and it rounds off with "See who else has invited you to join Facebook" and details of several people I know). My first thought was, this is someone who's got the wrong person, so I replied saying sorry, don't believe I know you. Immediately afterwards I realised what "Pams" is an anagram of. Duh.

I'm assuming that a spammer has set up a profile on Facebook and is using it to send out these spurious invites - but to what end? I've tried reporting it as abuse via the Facebook site, but annoyingly they only seem to let you do that if you register to join.

[Matt Morrison]

Yeah, I think everything you've said sounds about right - it's probably nothing worrying or dangerous at all as all the links seem to be genuine Facebook.
Like you say, most probably someone using the Facebook platform to spread shit.

The odd thing about it is the use of your name - if you haven't signed up to Facebook then it must have been automated from the phil@ part of your e-mail address.
Sounds very much like someone sending spam by entering e-mail addresses and sending invites through Facebook - presumably once you sign up and make 'friends' with them, their profile would be covered with web addresses and stuff that they want you to check out. That's the only way I can imagine them getting anything out of it.

[Phil Reynolds]

The odd thing about it is the use of your name - if you haven't signed up to Facebook then it must have been automated from the phil@ part of your e-mail address.

Yeah, that bit bothered me too. Anyway, I've now forwarded it to abuse@facebook.com so we'll see what happens.