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Harrison Daily reports a case of Facebook Scam aka Distress Scam
- 3-11-2010
- Categorized in: Distress Scams, Scam News 2010
This is another case of distress scams, but was called the "Facebook scam" because the scammer hacks into a Facebook account, and uses that to send out distress signals. Distress scams could happen to any types of accounts, and in the past, we have reports of scammers hacking into Yahoo email account as well.
| Cecile was nearly the victim of what All Facebook calls, The Western Union Scam, “I’ve Been Robbed! Western Union Me Money!” “You’re browsing around Facebook and suddenly one of your friends instant messages (IM) you to tell you that they’re stuck in another country, they’ve been robbed, don’t have a wallet, and need money to get out of the country. It’s a horrible situation but what are the odds that they found a computer to log on to in order to instant message you? Even worse, what are the odds that one of your friends who was traveling abroad got robbed and wasn’t able to find anybody to help them out?” Cecile said she was browsing and received a message she thought was legitimate because it had her friend’s photo and address. The message was that the friend and family was in London and they had been mugged and robbed. Cecile wondered what they were doing in London, Arkansas. The message sender then related that all they had were their passports. At that point Cecile said she became suspicous because she knew that the person was in Springdale just two days earlier. She decided to play along and while continuing to communicate on Facebook she text messaged other friends by phone to confirm that the people in question were not in London, England. The main reason for the message was that the senders wanted Cecile to wire $550 to an unidentifiable email address. No telephone numbers or physical addresses were given. Cecile said she reported the incident to both the Sheriff’s Office and to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, but there is nothing those agencies can do. “Most of the times that this happens, it is a scammer who has stolen your friend’s account and is systematically going through and IMing each of their friends to try and get money wired to them. Don’t fall for it!” All Facebook warns. |
However, some scammers did some research and called directly on the phone, claiming to be a friend, grandchildren (targeting elderly) or relative in distress and need money to be wired by Western Union.
Why Western Union? Its simple. In case when someone really lost their wallet with the ID and passport, they can still collect money from Western Union simply by providing a MTCN No, a number that is generated by WU when the sender sends the money.
Scammers like to use Western Union as well because its easier for them to collect money without revealing their ID, and hence more difficult to trace.
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facebook dosent open and the google chrom say that there is scam and when i press report it say to me that there is error
facebook dosent open and the google chrom say that there is scam and when i press report it say to me that there is error
"ME": VISTA HOME PREMIUM, GOOGLE CHROME, YAHOO MAIL
FREE AVG, SPYBOT, MALWAREBYTES
I WAS JUST SCAMMED HORRIBLY; LOST A LOT OF MONEY:
below is the text that i sent a young friend of my sons; but i want to try to get as much help as possible. even if i change out of this hard drive, i still feel vulnerable and need more info bout how to 'loose these hackers' for good and stay safe (all my scans with the above software did not alert me to anything going on - sadly). THANKS
i'm old and not tech saavy but due to the fact that i'm traveling (i'm a historical researcher) i'm very dependent upon my laptop (many doc'd of material, skype calling to keep in touch with friends and family back home in the u.s. and a facebook page to post pictures, etc. my present security programs are: avg - free version; spybot, and malwarebytes. i was just victimized by a weighty scam (but not unusual i've learned). a friend emailed me she was robbed in scotland and i western unioned her money to get home. but later contact proved she's never taken the trip. BUT i learned that HER computers at her business had to be professionally all changed out due to hacking. AND everything was in Serbian, which is one of the few countries i spent significant time in, which makes me wonder if through my contacts (i have some from serbia) they got to her computers. can you help me. a computer guy here in france tells me i need to change over my harddrive which i understand, but he's FAR more a computer mechanic than someone who knows or cares about details of such as email accounts and facebook. i have hundreds of contacts on both, surely have been too free with these, want to 'loose the hackets' but not all my friends. what do you recommend? i have changed my email passwords. my email acct and facebook are linked. is this a bad idea? how can i change this if this is so? i think it's weird that one cannot SIGNOUT of facebook. does this add to risk? i have tons of information on my cmptr - i even had a file with my many passwords and IDs cause no way could i remember them, but which may have been stupid because maybe a hacker could get to that file (no matter it's under layers of others, a sub, of a sub, of a sub) ? i have removed this but since i'm on the move i don't know where to store them (in my wallet? that could be stolen and i'd be lost for those passwords which are intentionally too many, too different and too complex to remember. in my car? it could be stolen. hide e'm somewhere whereever i'm staying i guess ? should i get out of facebook altogether? i would miss sharing with friends and family, but as an old lady i'm neither interesting in having to be paranoid, or interested in keeping up with the latest threats. my sanity and nerves mean more to me.LASTLY: (and i apologize for the overload here - i'm a wreck) 1) can one deactivate facebook and re-activate later without losing anything? 2) if i change my email address then address all my contacts to tell them; any possibility that if they're infected by these VERY APT scammers, could it 'lead them' back to me again? 3) i have contacts on facebook for whom i don't have email address's so if i shut out of facebook - i publicized that i was victimized on my wall as a warning to all - would like to change my email address: re numerous contacts on facebook that i have not bothered to get an email address for, how could i ask them to send me their email address's so we can keep in touch (as opposed to giving them my new email address on facebook). i hope this is not insulting to suggest, but when i get long emails like this, i respond by returning the long note, putting my comments and replies below each line or so IN CAPS. this is the only way i can respond to too many points or questions. feel free. you are an angel if you can help this old lady. i'm just sick with this whole thing. thanks so much, annastacia
facebook dosent open and the google chrom say that there is scam and when i press report it say to me that there is error
I am always wary of most facebook applications as I had a long conversation with someone from McCafee at a conference telling me how most viruses are downloaded through facebook quizzes and games. Saying that they are excellent tools for procrastination!
Thanks for highlighting the main villains as I get paranoid thinking they are all evil when many are just clever social media tools
ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT <accountdepartment11@hotmail.com
MR DAVID MORGAN (+917838580627) This fellow has cheated me as mobile IRISH LOTTERY as nameand he told me that dipposite 36000INR and I will depossite 700000GBP on your account.After dipposite of 36000INR again he told me to dipposite 500000INR for conversion in Riserve Bank GBP into INR. Please help me how can I refond my 36000INR
thanks You
Saroj Kanta Mohanty
Saroj Kanta Mohanty,
I felt very deeply sad after reading your comment because these thinks not only take your money but also dipress and hurt deeply as we are confirmed that we will get a lump sum lottery money.
I can not solve your problem but to say that I am also been cheated like this.
Please contact me at <sayan_277656@yahoo.com> and tell me whether you had got back your money or not.