S
Sean Camara
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New Scam Alert: Authorities warn to not click on enticing messages with malicious links on Facebook Messenger
Authorities have issued a warning about the new scheme that scammers are using to lure victims.
It was said that scammers are now allegedly using the identities of Facebook users — whose accounts were previously compromised either by the same scam or a similar one — to send enticing messages to unsuspecting contacts via Facebook's chat app Messenger.
The messages usually contain a link along with the text "look what I found" and a couple of emojis.
Authorities warn to not open messages with malicious links from Facebook contacts. Credit: 7News.com.au.
Authorities said that you should not click on this link because it will redirect you to a malicious web page that asks you for your Facebook log-in details.
The scammers allegedly use your log-in credentials to obtain sensitive information or to install malware — short for "malicious software" — onto your device.
According to Authorities, the scheme has been in existence for a number of years, but it seems to be proliferating in recent months.
Similar Messenger scams include messages with catchy texts such as "is this you in this video?"
Edith Cowan University cyber security expert Leslie Sikos said: “Messages seemingly coming from a Facebook friend are much more likely result in clicks than messages sent by strangers, because people might only or primarily focus on the sender’s name at first rather than the message content, regardless whether that has red flags.”
“There are many scams of this sort, meaning that there is no single appearance or behaviour users could learn to avoid."
“Note that if someone is tricked by a message and they click a scam’s link, they still might not be victims in the end if they can realise it’s a scam by keeping an eye on the website loading process, which would reveal the redirection to a malicious website.”
Dr Sikos also shared some tips on how to identify and avoid these scams, emphasising that you should be on the lookout for the message's grammar and style.
He explained: “(For example) there is no proper greeting and/or signature that would match the style of the sender."
“Scams often have bad grammar or typos that can also indicate their true nature. For example, ‘look what i found’ instead of ‘Look what I’ve found’.”
Other noticeable signs include links with a “gibberish, obviously machine-generated and fake domain name that, when clicked, would actually redirect you to another domain”.
Additionally, assess if the Facebook contact who sent you the message is a close friend or an acquaintance whom you've never had conversations with.
If the account that messaged you is the latter, then it might be a scam.
Finally, it is a red flag if the message was sent at an hour when the sender would normally be asleep.
So, there you have it, folks! We hope these tips will help you avoid Messenger swindlers. Have you had any experiences that are similar to this new scheme? Share them with us in the comments below so other members of the SDC can stay on guard.
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