Australia's Facebook users cautioned about "look who just died" scam, aiming to exploit personal data and money through false claims of acquaintances' deaths. Hackers employ the 'look who just died' scam as their latest scheme on the social media platform.
According to Daily Mail, the scam begins with a direct message from a hacker posing as a friend that says "look who just died" and includes a link to what appears to be a news article. To deceive users, the message may incorporate phrases like "so sad" or "I know you know him," aiming to create the impression of familiarity with the person involved.
Users are prompted to input their Facebook credentials to access the article about the reported death. However, the link associated with the fake news harbours malware, enabling scammers to pilfer login data and personal information from the victims. Consequently, the victim's account is seized by the hacker, who proceeds to send identical messages to their friends list. The scammers can also extract various personal data linked to the Facebook account, including email addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates. Subsequently, they may exploit this information to gain unauthorized access to non-Facebook accounts.
ALSO READ: Realme 11 Pro series to hit Indian markets on June 8th: What to expect?
Experts caution that if a user's Facebook account contains banking details or financial information, hackers can pilfer their funds. Although the phishing scam is predominantly observed on Facebook, it's worth noting that it can also manifest in emails or text messages, as indicated in the report.
Experts advise users to refrain from clicking on any links within suspicious messages. When unsure, it is recommended to consult a friend to verify the legitimacy of the message.
ALSO READ: Now Android users can enjoy the Apple Classical Music app: Know-how
In 2023, Australians reported a loss of over 11.5 million dollars from phishing scams, based on data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Scamwatch.
According to a report, it was revealed that in the UK, a customer becomes a victim of an online shopping scam originating from one of the two platforms owned by Meta every seven minutes. This unfortunate situation costs consumers over 500,000 pounds per week.
Lloyds Banking Group, based in the UK, conducted research that estimated more than two-thirds of all online shopping scams targeting consumers originate from Facebook and Instagram.
Inputs from IANS
