“I was panicking,” she told SBS News.
“When I finally got the account back … it was unrecognisable,” she said. It now had over 50 personal or business accounts attached to it, including lingerie shops.
Sarah says her Facebook page was taken over by someone else. Source: Supplied
“It was crazy … I don’t know what he was trying to do with it, what the goal was? He had about eight different credit cards attached to it that I could see.”
According to experts, older profiles like that of Sarah — which was created 17 years ago — are particularly desirable to cybercriminals.
Old Facebook accounts are more likely to be trusted
“People are far more likely to trust a Facebook account that has history — as a legitimate person would have — than one that was created a few weeks ago,” Sundstrom said.
People are far more likely to trust a Facebook account that has history — as a legitimate person would have — than one that was created a few weeks ago
Kathy Sundstrom, IDCARE spokeswoman
“That builds the trust and then they get scammed.”
‘The money just disappears’
Firstly, they may interact with people to buy products like laptops or mobile phones but walk off with the products without paying.
The amount appears as “pending” in the account of the person receiving the money, but it’s a status they often don’t notice. They think the money has already been deposited and hand over the goods.
Someone was scammed after believing $4,500 was deposited into their account but the transaction was still “pending” and the funds were never transferred. Source: Supplied
The cheque eventually bounces because it’s linked to an account that has no money in it.
“The money just disappears as if it wasn’t there,” Haggag said. “[I know someone who] lost $4,500 in the blink of an eye.”
Cheap prices convince buyers to take risks
If the account appears legitimate, people can be lured to act quickly and take risks to ensure they don’t miss out on a deal.
The scammer will give buyers an address to pick up the goods that evening. The address exists but the fake seller does not live there so the buyer is unable to pick up the goods despite already transferring the money.
‘Complicated’ scam uses stolen business accounts
In one example, Haggag said a business account began selling iPads at a very cheap price and even sent their customers delivery tracking numbers for their goods.
Instead of sending out iPads, one business sent empty envelopes with tracking numbers so buyers were fooled into thinking their items had been sent, and it was difficult to prove they hadn’t received them.
But instead of shipping them iPads, an empty envelope was sent to a different address in the same suburb. The tracking number eventually showed the item was delivered, making it very difficult for them to prove otherwise.
“It’s very complicated and very hard to actually convince Australia Post or Facebook or eBay that you actually didn’t get the product.”
How to protect yourself
“There is no one to call though and it remains a frustrating process for people going through it.”
Prevention is always better than the cure when it comes to Meta.
Kathy Sundstrom, IDCARE spokeswoman
Sundstrom said it was also helpful for people to check and change their privacy settings to ensure they knew who their friends on Facebook were.
Take precautions when buying or selling online
For those selling goods online, Haggag recommends meeting potential buyers during the day in a public location such as a supermarket, shopping centre or even a police station.
If you are buying or selling items online, it’s safer to meet the other party in a public place such as a supermarket, shopping centre or even a police station. Source: AAP / AAPIMAGE
Ideally, you would also not meet them alone, and never at night, he said. Meeting at your home can also be risky.
“I would say there have to be lots of precautions,” he said. “I would say be careful.”
‘I didn’t get back a lot of friends’
But she eventually decided to shut down her old Facebook account and started a new one, a process that has been a “bit of a nightmare”.
“I’ve got my family, I’ve got some friends but yeah, people are a bit cautious.”
Scammers are targeting the Facebook profiles of long-term users like Sarah for one reason #Scammers #targeting #Facebook #profiles #longterm #users #Sarah #reason
Source Link: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/scammers-are-targeting-the-facebook-profiles-of-users-like-sarah-for-one-specific-reason/ckby7jvo5
Scammers are targeting the Facebook profiles of long-term users like Sarah for one reason
Sarah still remembers the panic she felt… – BLOGGER – WP1, Facebook, LongTerm, profiles, Reason, Sarah, Scammers, targeting, users