Tagged: Facebook Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Geebo 9:00 am on December 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Facebook, Kroger's, ,   

    There’s no free lunch, but are there free groceries? 

    There's no free lunch, but are there free groceries?

    By Greg Collier

    We could all use a break on our grocery bills. Food prices have been the highest they’ve been in years and are only recently have they started to come down. Well, what if a major supermarket chain was willing to give you a coupon for $150 off your order? The store is celebrating their 140th anniversary after all. And you found this great deal on Facebook, what could go wrong? All you have to do to get that kind of discount is enter your personal information on a third-party website. What could the harm be to get those kinds of savings? A lot, actually.

    Kroger is one of the largest supermarket chains in the country. They’re also often the target of hoax coupons like the one mentioned above. Currently, there is one of these coupons circulating on social media that promises a $150 coupon in honor of the chain’s anniversary. If you were to follow a link that promises one of these coupons, you wouldn’t be taken to Kroger’s website. Instead, you’d be taken to a scammer’s website, where you’ll be asked for some personal information in exchange for the coupon. If personal information is entered into the scammer’s website, you’ll more than likely have your identity stolen.

    If you think about it, no supermarket is going to offer $150 off to millions of its customers. While it sounds like a great deal, that’s not how supermarkets make money. Kroger isn’t the only retailer to be targeted in scams like this. Costco also finds itself as targets of this scam. The name of any large retailer can be used in this scam, and probably has.

    According to experts, if the value of a coupon is almost the amount of an item or order, it could be a scam. No consumer should have to exchange sensitive information for a coupon. If you have any questions about a store’s coupon, don’t hesitate to contact the customer service number on the store’s website.

    And as always, while it is a cliché, the adage of ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ really applies here.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on November 29, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Facebook, , , , , ,   

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

    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.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on July 5, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Facebook, , , ,   

    Online seller gets 8 Zelle scammers in an hour 

    Online seller gets 8 Zelle scammers in an hour

    By Greg Collier

    It was around this time last week, we first brought you the story about a Zelle scam that’s been targeting online sellers. In this scam, the buyer insists on paying with Zelle. The seller then receives an email that claims to be from Zelle. The email claims you need to upgrade to a Zelle business account, which requires the buyer to send an additional $300. The buyer will then send the seller phony screenshots that make it look like the buyer paid the seller’s price along with the $300, The buyer will then demand the back from the seller. However, the buyer hasn’t really paid anything, and the seller would be out $300 if they send the money to the seller.

    Now, we’re getting some more information about this scam. A woman from New York recently shared her story on TikTok after encountering some Zelle scammers. She was attempting to sell a couch on Facebook Marketplace. At least eight different people tried paying the woman through Zelle within an hour after the listing was posted. The scammers were said to have been asking for the seller’s email address to send the payment through Zelle. That’s not how Zelle works, though. More than likely, the scammers wanted to send the email about signing up for a Zelle business account. These emails will have Zelle in the name, but will often come from services like Gmail. Again, this scam isn’t exclusive to Zelle and Marketplace, but they seem to be the most common avenues for this scam.

    The New York woman told her followers that Zelle is not the scam, which is technically true. But as we’ve been chronicling for almost a year, Zelle isn’t exactly standing by their customers when it comes to scams. In the Zelle app, you should receive a warning that says you shouldn’t send money to people you don’t know, but that seems to be the extent of their user protection. Zelle and its associated banks are very reluctant to offer refunds to scam victims. Most scam victims, who do get their money back from Zelle, usually have to go to their local media first. That doesn’t sound like a very consumer-friendly way of helping a scam victim.

    If you’re selling items online, we recommend following these three rules. The first is to only sell locally. The second is to only accept cash. And the third is to meet the buyer at a local police department. While these rules are not guarantees that you won’t be scammed, they do go a long way in preventing scams.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 23, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Facebook, , , , ,   

    Marketplace scam could send angry strangers to your home 

    Marketplace scam could send angry strangers to your home

    By Greg Collier

    Typically, when we discuss scams carried out through Facebook Marketplace, they’re the ones that plague a lot of online marketplace platforms. Of course, there’s the fake check/overpayment scam. Lately, the Google Voice verification scam has been popular on Marketplace. There have also been a number of rental scams, just to name a few. Now, a new scam has been reported that could have unintended consequences for all victims involved.

    According to a report out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, scammers are hijacking the Facebook accounts of their victims through phishing attacks. The report states specifically that the scammers are posing as old friends that you may not have heard from in a while. However, the scammers use the hijacked accounts to place items for sale on Marketplace that didn’t actually exist. While some of the items have been mundane, like furniture, other listings have been advertising purebred puppies.

    As we have seen with previous puppy scams, scammers will often list a fake address to make their scam seem more legitimate. This has led to victims showing up to homes where they think they’re about to get a puppy, only to be turned away in disappointment. While some victims understood the situation, others have become angry at the people living at the address listed, thinking that the residents are part of the scam.

    If scammers are collecting money through apps like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle, they could be sending their victims to the address of a person with a hijacked Facebook account. This scam could potentially lead to a violent encounter.

    The best way to protect yourself is to keep your Facebook account secure. Consider making your account private to your friends and family only. Use a password that can’t be guessed easily. For that, you can use a password generator service. Even most modern web browsers have a password manager built in. Lastly, you should enable two-factor authentication on your Facebook account. This means there would be a two-step process into signing in to your Facebook account.

    While none of these methods are foolproof, they do go a long way in keeping your digital life secure.

    Video: Stolen Facebook account posts fake ads, sends strangers to woman’s doorstep

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on June 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Facebook, , , , ,   

    BBB warns of new Facebook Messenger scam targeting US workers 

    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, , , ,   

    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.

     

  • Geebo 9:06 am on February 2, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Facebook, , , , ,   

    What was the biggest social media scam of 2021? 

    What was the biggest social media scam of 2021?

    By Greg Collier

    On its surface, social media is a remarkable tool. When social media first took off, it let us get in touch with friends and family who we may not have seen for years. It’s let us stay in contact with those friends and family. Now it’s advanced to the point where it has become a daily part of our lives where we get news, find jobs, and conduct commerce among its many other uses. But like any tool designed to bring us closer together, it can also be used for nefarious purposes. This not exclusive to just social media. Back in the days of landline phones, they were great until the advent of telemarketing. However, social media is now going through its telemarketing-like phase when it comes to scammers.

    If you’ve been using social media for a while, the odds are you’ve come across a scam and may not have even known it. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost a combined $770 million to social media scammers, and those are only the scams that were reported. The biggest money loser for social media scam victims were investment scams. However, the largest number of scams on social media involved online shopping. This mostly entailed people ordering through ads they saw on social media and never received their item. Most of those who reported an online shopping loss said that the ads were mostly on Facebook or Instagram. Just because someone can buy an ad on these platforms in no way guarantees they are a legitimate business.

    Anytime, you’re about to make an online purchase from a retailer or vendor you’ve never heard of before, do your research to make sure they’re not going to scam you. You can do what’s known as a whois search to make sure the website is not being run from overseas. Also check their contact information. If you can only contact them through email, it could be a scam. You can also do a web search with the name of the retailer along with the phrases complaints or scam. Lastly, you can always check with the Better Business Bureau website to see if the BBB has received any complaints about the business.

     

  • Geebo 9:00 am on January 28, 2022 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Facebook, , ,   

    Grant money scam returns to social media 

    Grant money scam returns to social media

    By Greg Collier

    When we say the government grant scam has returned to social media, it really never left. However, we’ve seen a number of reports about the scam this week. The way the scam typically works is you’ll receive a message on social media from a friend, telling you they received substantial grant money from the government, and you can too. In reality, your friend’s social media account has been hacked and is being used by scammers. In what’s known as the advance fee scam, the scammers will try to get you to pay fictitious taxes or a processing fee to get the phony grant. This can end up costing a victim of this scam thousands of dollars.

    For example, a woman in Nebraska recently fell victim to this scam. She had received a message from a relative on Facebook. The message said she could receive $100,000 in grant money. She thought the grant was some form of pandemic financial assistance. She ended up paying $5,000 to the scammers in prepaid debit cards. Not only was she dealt a financial loss, but scammers may have stolen her identity as well. The scammers had asked her for a copy of her driver’s license as part of the phony application process. With that kind of information, identity thieves can open any number of financial accounts in the victim’s name.

    The way you can tell this is a scam is that the government doesn’t ask for money when approving an actual grant. And if the government did ask for money, they wouldn’t ask for it in prepaid debit cards or gift cards. If you receive one of these messages on social media, do not respond to it. Instead, use another method of communication to let your friend or relative know that their account may have been compromised. Since this scam often targets elderly victims, you may want to inform any older relatives you might have if they are active on social media.

     

  • Geebo 8:00 am on September 24, 2021 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Facebook, , ProPublica, ,   

    Facebook marketplace is deadly 

    Facebook marketplace is deadly

    By Greg Collier

    Craigslist used to be the poster child for dangerous marketplace platforms. It was a reputation they earned through their unmoderated ad listings which led to countless scams, human trafficking, and a number of high-profile murders. However, within five years of launching, Facebook Marketplace has become the supposed industry leader. The reason Facebook Marketplace became so successful so fast is that Facebook already had a built-in audience of one billion users worldwide and for many of Facebook’s users, Facebook is their internet. And since Facebook doesn’t want their users to wander outside of Facebook’s walled garden, Facebook will implement features to try to keep users engaged. Marketplace is just one of those features.

    ProPublica is a non-profit organization that does investigative journalism. Recently, ProPublica did an extensive investigation into the problems with Facebook Marketplace. ProPublica claims in their report that Facebook Marketplace’s problems pale in comparison to the number of problems Craigslist had. They start off their report with a story about a man who was making a living selling cars on Facebook Marketplace. His Facebook account was hacked and scammers started selling cheap junk through his account. Since the account still has his name on it, he’s in fear for his life that a disgruntled customer will come looking for him. When the man tried to resolve the matter with Facebook, they just banned him from the platform with no answers given.

    But to Facebook, the fact that a Marketplace account is attached to a real person makes it safer for users. Except Facebook neglects to mention the part where just about anyone can open a Facebook account. And much like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace is awash with stolen goods on their listings. Facebook says that they have precautions in place to prevent scams and stolen items from being listed but according to ProPublica who spoke with past and present Marketplace employees, Facebook only reacts to complaints and does little to prevent fraudulent listings from going live.

    While Facebook Marketplace hasn’t had the number or PR nightmare that Craigslist had, there have been a number of murders committed using Facebook Marketplace. Much like we posted about OfferUp, the majority of these murders come from armed robberies. We’ll spare you the gruesome details, but many of these murders were particularly disturbing.

    Our point is that just because Facebook may be your social network of choice, that doesn’t make Marketplace safe by any stretch of the imagination.

    The even more unfortunate part of this blog post is that a lot of our audience won’t see it, since Facebook would almost assuredly prevent it from being posted on its platform. But they can’t stop you from posting it on Facebook. So please consider sharing this post or the ProPublica article with people you know who use Facebook Marketplace.

     

← Older posts

Newer posts →

c
Compose new post
j
Next post/Next comment
k
Previous post/Previous comment
r
Reply
e
Edit
o
Show/Hide comments
t
Go to top
l
Go to login
h
Show/Hide help
shift + esc
Cancel