Beware the con artists targeting vulnerable

CON artists using Facebook Messenger and have claimed £44,000 from unwitting victims.

Lancashire Police has warned residents of the scam which sees the recipiant receive messages seemingly from friends or family requesting to use their PayPal account to collect money from items sold online.

The messages are sent by fraudsters stating that they have sold a camera on eBay but that they are unable to process the payment as they either do not have a PayPal account or because their PayPal account is not working.

The request is that the message recipient receives the funds into their own PayPal account, then, after transferring it into their own bank account, they forward it onto an account controlled by the fraudster.

If the victim agrees the payment is transferred into their PayPal account but, after the money is transferred out, the initial transaction is reversed leaving the account in negative balance.

In June and July only, a total of 95 reports were made which specifically mention that the item sold was a camera.

Multiple reports have also been received from victims stating that their Facebook Messenger accounts have been hacked and that these fraudulent messages have been sent to all their contacts on their behalf.

The force’s cyber crime unit is now warning residents to be vigilant of the scams and to be wary of any unusual messages asking for help with financial transactions.

A spokesman said: “Even if the message appears to be from someone you know and trust, you should check it’s really them that sent the message by calling them or speaking with them in person.

“Never respond to any requests to send money, or have money transferred through your account, by someone you don’t know and trust. You can protect your important online accounts by using a strong separate password and, where available, turn on two- factor authentication (2FA).

“If you have made a payment, inform your bank, or payment service provider, such as PayPal, as soon as possible. They can help you prevent any further losses. “You should also monitor your bank statements regularly for any unusual activity.”