The deceptive scam is spread through hijacked Facebook accounts, and every hijacking easily leads to new victims. If your Facebook friend suddenly asks your phone number, it would be good to ring and hard on the alarm watches.
Finnish Facebook accounts have been stolen through Messenger. Adobe Stock / AOP
Transport and Communications Agency Traficom Cyber Security Center warn Facebook for a scam spread through Messenger.
The authority says it regularly receives notifications from Finns whose Facebook account has been hijacked using the method.
“This is not a new phenomenon, but the scam is still active,” it says in its weekly review.
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Finnish Facebook accounts have been hijacked via Messenger messages. Messages have been sent from your friends’ hijacked accounts, so the alarm bells may not ring in time. Cyber security center
This is how the scam works
- The victim receives a message from his Facebook friend asking for a phone number. The sender of the message is actually a friend’s account with a cheater.
- The cheater says he will participate in the competition or lottery and also request permission to report the victim.
- If the victim gives his phone number, the scammer says he will soon need a text message to enter the competition.
- This code is actually the confirmation code required for logging in to your Facebook account. If the code gives, the cheater will be able to sign in with the victim’s ID, change the password and email and take over the account.
- In some cases, the cheater has suggested that he will share any profits with the victim. In these cases, a message may still come afterwards to fish for the victim’s bank IDs to pay for profits.
Cyber Security Center urges such a scam victim to try to return your account Facebook automatic tools through. This link Through you will find more detailed instructions to return your Facebook account.
If the hijacked account is connected to a business account, it is a good idea to remove the hijacked account from managing your business account if possible.
– If you have provided your bank information or your dedicated account with your payment card information during the scam, please contact your bank without delay, the Cyber Security Center warns.
In addition, it may be good to warn your own Facebook contacts about being hijacked so that they do not become a victim of a similar scam.