- By Vikas Yadav
- Thu, 01 Jun 2023 05:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
AN UPDATE on someone's death can be shocking. And this is being used by hackers to cheat Facebook users. In the latest scam, a message with the subject 'Look who died' and a link to a fake article on the death of a user's acquaintance is circulating on the Meta-owned app. However, a user should not click on the link as it is a scam intended to hack into your details.
A point worth noting is that a user receives a malicious link shared from a known friend's account in most cases. This is because his/her Facebook profile was already compromised by this attack.
How the scam unfolds?
Once the user clicks on the news article link, he/she is prompted to enter the login credentials of Facebook on a fake website. If the user enters these details, the account is compromised and used as a medium to amplify the scam without the user noticing it.
Scams such as "Is this you on the video?' and "Did you make this video?" are also planted on similar lines, according to DataProt. The pattern remains the same - retrieve login details and infuse malware into affected devices.
It is a form of Phishing scam that collects sensitive data of victims through deception. The link is a replica of the genuine-looking website.
However, if you fall for such scams, here are a few steps to mitigate the damage.
Look Who Died Phishing Message: What to do if you get scammed?
- Do not log out and change the password of your account
- Report the matter to Facebook
- Log out from devices and locations that you do not recognise
- Unlink unknown email addresses linked to your account
- Turn on two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security
- Use an antivirus to clean malware
Further, here are a few steps to avoid falling for these scams.
Facebook Phishing Attack: Precautionary Measures
- Set up a strong password: Use an alpha-numeric password that is difficult to crack.
- Cross-check URLs: Check out misspelt words in the URL of the webpage before entering sensitive information.
- Do not log in again into the same account: If you have logged into the Facebook Messenger app, another login request from an external link is probably a fraud request.
Lastly, do not click on links that you think are suspicious.
