Scam looks like it comes from online friend

Residents in Perth and Kinross are being warned of a new online scam.

The scam sees victims receive a message from a friend on Facebook, claiming they can access a large sum of money.

They will be told they need to give the friend a quantity of Amazon vouchers before they are able to access the money.

Police officers in Tayside division say this is often not recognised as a scam because the message comes from a friend.

Now they are wanting all residents to be aware of this scam to make sure no one else is caught out.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland’s Tayside division said: “The scam involves the victim receiving a message from a friend on Facebook, advising them that they have access to a large sum of money but they need to be given a quantity of Amazon vouchers first.

“While this would ordinarily be an obvious scam, because it appears to come from a trusted friend, the victim is more likely to be taken in.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a friend but a scammer who has managed to hack the friend’s Facebook account or replicate it in some way.

“If you receive a message like this, do not respond, but it may be worth contacting your friend to let them know their account has been hacked and get them to notify Facebook.

“It is also worth repeating that no legitimate firm, government agency or company will accept a gift voucher for Amazon, iTunes or anywhere else as payment for any service.”

The force added: “If you have been a victim of one of these scams (if you have lost money or bought vouchers as a result of one of these messages), please call 101 and let us know.”