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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 23, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 44 ), Amazon ( 108 ), bitcoin ( 31 ), Facebook ( 178 ), look who died, Messenger, phishing ( 75 ), Publishers Clearing House ( 11 ), Scams ( 1,354 ), sweepstakes ( 25 )   

  Scam Round Up: The classics make a return 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Even though there has been an uptick in technologically advanced scams, there are some classic scams that never went away. Here are three we think you should be reminded of.

  If you get a phone call or email that says there’s been a fraudulent charge on your Amazon account, the chances are it’s a scam.

  A woman from Lincoln, Nebraska, recently fell victim to this scam when she thought she was talking to the fraud department of her bank. The scammers convinced her she needed to make payments in Bitcoin to correct the error. She ended up sending the scammers $52,000 in Bitcoin after withdrawing it from her 401K.

  If you receive a call or message like this, go directly to your Amazon account and check for fraudulent charges. If there aren’t any, then whoever contacted you is trying to scam you. No matter how urgent they make it seem, slow down and verify their story before sending any money. And if Bitcoin is brought up in the conversation, then it’s definitely a scam.

  Scammers love to hijack Facebook accounts. When they do, not only do they get your personal information, but they can then use your account to try to scam everyone on your friends list.

  One of the ways they do this is by sending a Facebook message that says, “Look who died.” The message contains a link that appears like it will take you to a news article. Instead, it will inject malware onto your device that can hijack your Facebook account.

  Messenger is a pretty big breeding ground for scams. Outside of the ‘look who died’ message, you should also avoid messages about government grants, cryptocurrency, or just about any message that involves money.

  You may also want to let your Facebook friend know outside of Facebook that their account has been hacked.

  Last, but certainly not least, is the Publisher’s Clearinghouse scam. We’re all familiar with PCH. If you win a substantial prize from them, they surprise you at home in their Prize Van with a large novelty check. The thing with PCH is, you have to enter their sweepstakes first before you can win anything.

  Scammers will call victims at random while posing as PCH, telling their victims they’ve won millions of dollars. The scammers will then try to get their victims to make a payment to claim their prize. The payment will be disguised as something like taxes or processing fees. This is known as the advanced fee scam, which has cost victims thousands of dollars. Once a victim makes payment, the scammers will continue to string the victim along by asking for more money.

  Keep in mind, it’s illegal for sweepstakes like PCH to ask for money before issuing a prize. That’s why legitimate sweepstakes always have the tagline of ‘no purchase necessary’.

   

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  Geebo 8:03 am on November 3, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook Messenger ( 4 ), imposter scam ( 3 ), impostor scam ( 15 ), Messenger, Scams ( 1,354 )   

  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.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 14, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: advance fee scam ( 44 ), Facebook ( 178 ), Facebook Messenger ( 4 ), grants ( 14 ), Messenger, Scams ( 1,354 ), 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.

   
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  Geebo 8:12 am on March 30, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Facebook ( 178 ), Facebook Messenger ( 4 ), Messenger, Scams ( 1,354 ), social media ( 79 )   

  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.