Warning over new scam on Facebook

Facebook users have been warned about a bank-emptying scam on the social platform that targets your morbid curiosity.

The new scam is one of a host of Facebook ploys used by hackers to hijack unknowing users’ accounts and steal their money and data.

Known as the “look who just died” scam, the ploy begins with a hacker who has hijacked someone’s Facebook account and sends a message to their contacts.

The message reads “Look who just died” and includes a link that appears to open a news story about the supposed death. It may include additions such as “So sad” or “I know you know him” to make the target believe the death was a celebrity or someone close.

A naturally curious target will then click on the link, which contains malware that allows the hacker to gain access to their personal information. It may ask the target to enter their Facebook log-in details, giving the hacker access to their account so that the scam can continue.

More importantly, if the target has bank details or financial information linked to their Facebook account, hackers can access it and steal their money.

In other cases, the fake news link leads to malware that installs itself onto the target’s computer, where personal photos, passwords and identification documents may be stored.

Experts warned that the scam is mostly circulating on Facebook Messenger, but may appear as a text or email.

The best advice, experts say, is never to click on any links in messages that appear to be suspicious. A quick conversation with the purported friend should clear up whether they are real or a hacker.

“Malware distributors have gotten increasingly savvy, and you need to be careful about what you download and click on,” the FBI has warned.