“Unfortunately, impostor scams are all too common, and we see older demographics targeted more frequently,” says Sachin Puri, vice president of marketing at cybersecurity firm McAfee. I blocked the person, reported the incident to Facebook and sent a text to my friend to let him know his account was compromised.Īlthough the pitch may vary, always be suspicious when someone you know or think you know asks for something, often with a sense of urgency. Let me send you a link about it.”Īt that point I knew it was a scam. “You should apply, too, as they’re granting a lot of money, but only until the end of the month. Did you hear about the money I received from the International Financial Corporation Grant?”īecause this was the first time I had seen such a message, my response was sincere: “Wow, that’s great, congrats!” I figured it was something tied to my friend’s work as an educator who publishes reports on teaching techniques for those with special needs.īut my Spidey sense started tingling with what came next. So I had no reason to question it - at first. I got a note over Facebook Messenger that appeared to be from a friend, right down to the name and photo.
This happened to me recently, and it’s typical of how scammers operate. Messaging apps are a great way to keep up with friends and family, but they can also be a method for scammers to defraud you.
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