Greg's Corner

Tagged: Facebook Messenger Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Geebo 9:00 am on November 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: check washing ( 14 ), Facebook ( 173 ), Facebook Messenger, IRS ( 22 ), job scam ( 71 ), refund scam ( 7 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), text scam ( 19 )   

  Scam Round Up: Job scam wants your Facebook login and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  If you’re thinking of sending money to relatives as a gift this holiday season, you may want to reconsider writing a check. Once again, scammers are stealing mail from mailboxes in hopes of finding a handwritten check. In a process called check washing, scammers can soak the check in chemicals that will remove the ink from a handwritten check. The scammers will then write the check for any amount they please before cashing it.

  To better protect yourself from this scam, mail any checks you may be sending inside the post office itself. This goes a long way in preventing the mail from being stolen. There are also special pens you can purchase that are resistant to the check washing chemicals.

  ***

  The Federal Trade Commission has issued an alert warning taxpayers about a refund scam. According to the FTC, scammers have been sending out text messages claiming you’re eligible for a ‘tax rebate’or some other kind of payment from the IRS. As with most text messaging scams, the messages contain a link for the recipient to click on to get their supposed refund. Clicking on the link could have devastating consequences as it could either ask you for personal or financial information, leading to identity theft, or it could inject malware into your phone.

  Just keep in mind that the IRS is never going to initiate contact with a taxpayer through text messages. If there is any kind of issue concerning your federal taxes, you will receive a notice in the mail before anything else.

  ***

  A woman from Missouri was almost scammed out of her Facebook account while applying for a job online. A friend of a friend had posted a job ad on his Facebook page. While interviewing for the job, she was told that she was being interviewed by the company’s founder and CEO. All the interviews took place through messaging apps like Messenger and Google Chat. The phony CEO asked the woman for a copy of her driver’s license and Social Security card, which may not seem unusual. However, she was also asked for her Facebook login information. Thankfully, she realized this was a scam and cut off contact with the scammer.

  While there have been stories in the past about employers asking for employees’ Facebook logins, those are rare exceptions and not the norm. This seems like the scammers wanted her personal information to hijack her Facebook account and use it for additional scams. Having her personal information might allow them to claim that they are the actual owners of the Facebook account. The acquaintance’s account was more than likely hijacked by the scammers.

   

  Leave a ReplyCancel reply
• 

  Geebo 8:03 am on November 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook Messenger, imposter scam ( 3 ), impostor scam ( 13 ), Messenger ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Scammers can look just like your friends on Messenger 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Facebook Messenger has become a popular tool of scammers in recent years. If a scammer can hijack someone’s account, they can attempt to scam everyone on that user’s friends list. But it’s easy to be skeptical when it’s a text-only message asking you to invest in cryptocurrency, or telling you that you’re eligible for a government grant. But what if it was a video call on Messenger where your friend is asking for money for an emergency? With technology advancing every day, this is now possible for scammers to do.

  Police in Michigan have reported numerous scams where victims got a video call on Messenger that appeared to be from a friend. The video looked just like their friend, where the friend would be moving around as normal. The calls only lasted a few seconds, but that would be enough time for scammers to ask the victims for money. Victims would then be directed to send the money through Cash App.

  The report doesn’t say how this video trick is done. However, if we had to hazard a guess, we’d say it’s done through the same technology that many face apps use. For example, there are apps where you can submit a picture and using rudimentary AI, the app can make the pic look like it’s singing New York New York by Frank Sinatra, or any other song.

  A good way to tell if you’re being scammed in this way is if there’s picture, but no sound. While the scammers can make it appear as if the picture is talking, they’ll type out the message, since they can’t make the picture say anything they want and have it sound like the friend. In all instances, even if a friend is in dire straits and does need a helping hand, always verify with them through a second method of communication such as a phone call or email.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on June 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 42 ), Facebook ( 173 ), Facebook Messenger, grants ( 14 ), Messenger ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), workers' comp ( 2 )   

  BBB warns of new Facebook Messenger scam targeting US workers 

  

  By Greg Collier

  An untold number of people around the world use Facebook Messenger as their primary form of communication. Even in America, many users of Messenger have replaced their phone carrier’s text message app with Messenger. This has given rise to just as many scams on Messenger that have plagued text message users.

  One of the more infamous Messenger scams is the government grant scam. In that scam, scammers gain access to a friend’s Facebook account. They’ll then use the friend’s Messenger account to message the victim. The message usually contains something along the lines of that they just received a large federal grant to help pay their bills. The ‘friend’ will then tell the victim that they should apply for this grant, along with instructions on how to request the grant. The victim will be directed to someone posing as the government, who will ask the victim for a processing fee before issuing the grant. At this point, the scammer will either disappear or will keep luring the victim with the promise of a large grant payment if the victim just keeps paying money for additional fees.

  According to a Better Bureau Office in Texas, they’ve received notice about a similar Messenger scam happening in their area. The BBB is saying the scam is targeting people who are owed workers’ compensation. It’s unclear how scammers are obtaining these lists. However, what the scammers are doing is using Messenger to contact the people entitled to workers’ comp, and posing as a service that can get their workers’ comp for them. Of course, this involves paying a fee to the scammers. Much like the grant scams, the scammers will disappear after getting the payment or try to milk the victims for more money.

  However, there are ways to protect yourself from these scams. If a friend messages you about a money making opportunity, use a way to get a hold of them besides Messenger to find out if they meant to send that message. The BBB also recommends that you should never pay money to get money. If money is owed to you through a business or the government, you shouldn’t have to pay any money to get your payout. Lastly, like most scams, if the person asking for money asks for it in non-traditional means like cryptocurrency, gift cards, or pre-paid debit cards, you’re more than likely talking to a scammer.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:12 am on March 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook ( 173 ), Facebook Messenger, Messenger ( 4 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), social media ( 73 )   

  New twist on old scam comes to private messaging 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Most of us have a friend or loved one who we constantly communicate with online. Many of us like to share jokes and memes with that person that we think they’ll find humorous. Now, what if that person sent you a private message that said ‘Look what I found’ along with a laughing emoji and a link? Many of us could be forgiven for clicking on that link since it supposedly came from a trusted friend. However, if the link is clicked, you could end up losing one of your most valuable online accounts.

  For many, the majority of their online presence is on Facebook. It’s where their friends are, it’s where they get their news, and it’s how they communicate with others. In internet terms, this is known as a walled garden. AOL was famous for being a walled garden back in the internet’s early days. In essence, the more a platform can keep their users engaged, the more profitable it becomes. One of the problems with walled gardens is users can be too trusting of other users on the platform, which inevitably leads to scammers.

  Currently, tech experts are warning about a scam that’s taking place on Facebook Messenger. Users are receiving messages from close friends that say ‘Look what I found’ along with a laughing emoji and a link. The person who appears to have sent the message have had their Facebook account compromised. If the message’s recipient clicks on the link, it takes them to a website that looks like Facebook and asks for your Facebook login. If a user enters their information, their account will become compromised as well. Our Facebook accounts hold a lot of personal information about us. Some accounts even have financial information saved within them. In numerous instances, it’s enough to have your identity stolen.

  This is not a new scam. In the past, the message would read ‘Is this you?’ and also include a link that would attempt to hijack your account.

  If you get a message like this, even from someone close to you, message them on a different platform to ask them if they meant to send that message. If a friend tells you that you sent a message like that, immediately change your password.