Common Scams and How to Avoid Them
There is a seemingly endless number of ways scammers will seek to steal from consumers – and while Facebook is a popular forum to stay in touch with old friends, make new connections, and buy and sell items, it has also become a haven for scammers. Here are just a few common scams:
One-Time Password or Authentication Request Scam:
While Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces can be great resources for consumers to buy and sell household and other items, they have also become a haven for scammers. Sellers will often receive a message from someone indicating an interest in purchasing an item, but they will ask for a cell phone number – purportedly so they can confirm the seller is not a scammer – and will ask the seller to provide them a six-digit code that is sent to their cell phone. Don’t ever provide codes to anyone. This may not only enable them to access your accounts but worse, can enable them to use your information to scam others.
Clickbait and Malware Attacks
Never click on links or videos that you receive through Facebook Messenger unless you know that your friend actually intentionally sent it to you. Hackers capitalize on your curiosity by making it seem like the link or video is about you. Clicking the link will only start a download of malicious software to your computer that will allow the hacker to obtain and use your information – including your friend list so that they can target your friends by appearing to be you.
Fraudsters will create posts that are meant to evoke an emotional reaction and prey upon your good intentions and desire to help. Don’t “share” posts where someone is claiming to have picked up an injured animal and is looking for the owner, or “I bet I won’t get even one like” posts showing disfigured or disabled children, or even requests for prayers from people you don’t know - these posts that play on your sympathies are only intended to cause well-intentioned people to unknowingly spread malware.
Job Scams
Job scams are certainly not limited to Facebook – they target particularly people who are looking for work-from-home opportunities. They tout too good to be true salary and request your personal information as part of the “application” process. No job applicant should need to provide social security numbers or bank information in order to apply for a job. Oftentimes, someone you know will have shared a post with you trying to be helpful – that doesn’t make the post credible. They will also often state that the position is with a big-name company – UPS or Amazon for example – but the link is to a third party rather than the actual company. Before providing any information to apply for a job, go to the company’s actual website for a list of open positions, and make your application through the company’s verified website.
Quiz Scams
These are usually fun-looking questions – which “Friends” character are you? – or a series of questions that play upon our nostalgia – “What was your first concert?” – but the common thread is that they are all designed to get people to voluntarily give up personally identifying information about themselves – read through these questions – many of them are also security questions that you would need to answer in order to change your password on your online accounts. They may look like fun to do, but there is nothing fun about the recovery steps needed once your identity has been stolen.
It is extremely difficult to recover money lost in a scam. The bad actors are often difficult if not impossible to identify and are often operating from outside the United States.
Readers Digest did an article this month detailing numerous Facebook scams. https://www.rd.com/list/facebook-scams-keep-falling-for/
For information on other scams:
The Office of Consumer Affairs publishes a consumer guide that can be accessed here: https://www.mass.gov/guides/a-consumer-guide-to-scams.
The Federal Trade Commission also offers tips on how to avoid scams and information on how to report scams. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam
