Men more likely to fall for Facebook scams thanks to sexy women
(CBS) - We've often heard the saying that men are more visual than women. That just might land them in hot water. A recent study commissioned by anti-virus software company Bitdefender reveals that males are more likely to fall for Facebook scams, especially if the predator is a sexy female.
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The company surveyed a group 1,649 men and women in the U.S. and U.K. The subjects had adequate knowledge of online security.
According to the findings, 64.2 percent of women rejected Facebook friend requests compared to 55.4 percent of men. When an attractive woman's photo was associated with the profile, men were more likely to accept friend requests. There was not a noticeable difference for the women.
About 24.5 percent of men allow their profiles to be searchable by strangers, compared to only 16 percent of women. Men are also less likely to protect their location, with 25.6 percent willing to share their whereabouts, in contrast to 21.8 percent of women.
"Men expose themselves to risks more than women, especially when accepting friendship from unknown persons," said Bitdefender social media security product manager George Petre.
The findings aren't all that surprising, if you think of it from a cultural perspective. Women are raised to fear men more than the flipped scenario. When it comes to online security threats, however, all is fair in bytes and pixels.
Keep a close eye on your passwords and account numbers, men. That hot chick on the screen just might be a man waiting to drain your bank account.
