Sick crooks target Matthew’s funeral
‘Links’ to tragic boy’s Requiem Mass stream just a cover for scam operation
SICK con artists have created social media profiles claiming to be in memorial to tragic Matthew Healy.
The six-year-old, whose body was found in the back of a car last Friday in Waterford, will be laid to rest today.
But at least two different pages were set up on social media yesterday, claiming to have links to live coverage of the funeral service, from the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Watergrasshill, Cork.
However, the links go to a range of alleged scam sites, including “phishing” operations that ask for emails and personal information and are suspected to be linked to criminal groups looking to steal everything from online profiles to personal banking details.
One profile pushes links that go directly to a range of dodgy sites that have been linked to malware.
Clicking on these could result in malicious software being downloaded.
The sites have been sending “friend” requests and the criminals behind them are hoping to catch out the unwary who are looking for details of the funeral service online. The Mass will not be streamed.
The fake sites with dangerous links were spotted by a number of people last night, who shared urgent warnings on social media, to alert the unwary to the danger.
Gardai combatting online scams have seen a sharp rise in the use of “piggy-backing” on major news stories, often terrible tragedies, to draw in the unwary who are looking for information or simply looking to leave a message of sympathy.
The youngster was found in an unresponsive state, in a vehicle parked close to Dunmore East, Co Waterford, in the early hours of last Friday.
Matthew’s death is being treated as suspicious.
His death notice said he will be sadly missed by his father James, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family along with neighbours and friends.
There has been a sharp rise in piggybacking to draw in the unwary
GARDA ONLINE CRIME SOURCE YESTERDAY