6 Facebook scams reported in first 2 months of this year

[SibeiKuaiLan]

Updated: 03/21/2014 20:41 | By Channel NewsAsia

6 Facebook scams reported in first 2 months of this year

SINGAPORE: Police say six cases of Facebook scams have been reported in the first two months of the year, with total loss amounting to S$20,000.

In those cases, victims’ Facebook accounts were hacked and their identities were stolen. Scammers will then request for money from the victims' families and friends.

Mr Goh, 30, is one such victim, but he managed to intervene before any money was transferred.

He said he was busy working in the office when a Facebook conversation with his brother popped up on his screen.

"I realised I did not send him any messages. In the conversation, they were asking if my brother had i-banking service and if he could transfer money to another account,” said Mr Goh.

Tong Hui Leong, director of NTS Consulting, said: "The hacker might perform a phishing technique, using the latest situations, like the MH370 (Malaysia Airlines flight disappearance).

“They might say "I have discovered very interesting satellite pictures". As the end user, they might get very curious, and they might click on the link and download a programme to view the data.

“So the victim will unknowingly install the programme and also unknowingly install the spyware onto their computer."

Security experts say users also tend to list too many personal details online, making them vulnerable targets for criminals.

Police also remind the public to verify the authenticity of any requests for money online. - CNA/nd