Victims cheated in new Facebook scam
Published on
04 Dec 2016
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - A new scam has surfaced on Facebook, with victims being cheated out of at least $14,600 in seven cases between September and November, the police said in an advisory on Friday (Dec 2).
The scam involves fake Facebook "friends" who approach users of the social media platform saying they saw the victims' names included in lists of contest winners on various Facebook pages.
The victims in the seven cases, who are between 44 and 67 years old, visited the pages and were asked to provide personal details.
The pages sport names such as FB Social Promotion International and Home Care Cash Grant.
The victims were then asked to transfer money overseas before their "winnings" could be claimed.
The police advised the public to take the following precautions when reacting to messages on social media platforms:
- Be wary of messages informing you that you have won a prize, especially if you did not enter any lucky draw or contest.
- Ignore requests to make upfront payments to claim a prize. Winning a lucky draw or contest should not require advance payment.
- Check that the person you are communicating with online is really the person you know. An imposter can hack or spoof an account and take up a false identity.
Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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