Latest Phishing and Scamming Trend: Fake Facebook Friend Crypto Scheme

In recent months, a new phishing and scamming method has emerged, targeting unsuspecting victims through social media platforms. Fraudsters are using hacked Facebook accounts or creating fake profiles of the victim’s friends to lure them into cryptocurrency scheme. Here’s how the scam unfolds and what you need to be aware of to protect yourself.

Stage 1: The Facebook Messenger Approach

The scam begins when fraudsters, posing as a friend or acquaintance, initiate a conversation via Facebook Messenger. They use hacked or fake Facebook accounts that closely resemble a friend of the targeted victim. The familiarity of the sender tricks many people into believing they are conversing with someone they trust.

These fraudsters promote an "investment opportunity" involving Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The website they direct victims to is well-designed to appear legitimate, but it’s entirely fraudulent. Unfortunately, once the scammers identifies their target, they often block the victim’s access to the account, making it difficult to trace or retrieve any messages.

Stage 2: Transition to WhatsApp

Once the fraudsters establishes trust, they convince the victim to move the conversation to WhatsApp. WhatsApp allows the scammers to maintain more privacy and distance from Facebook, where detection and reporting might be easier. The scammers use WhatsApp to share images, including fake invoices or screenshots of bank accounts, to make the scam seem more credible.

Stage 3: Fake Invoices and Pressure Tactics

Once on WhatsApp, scammers escalate their efforts by sending fake invoices or fabricated screenshots of successful cryptocurrency transactions, attempting to prove the legitimacy of the scheme. These visuals are highly convincing and are used to pressure the victim into making payments. The fraudsters often demand that payments be made to local bank account numbers, using various fabricated stories to justify this.

Stage 4: Requesting Personal Information and Using Victims as Money Mules

As the scam progresses, fraudsters also ask victims for sensitive personal information such as: Bank account details or ID. Personal data may be used for further identity theft.

How to Protect Yourself?

• Verify friend requests and messages. If you receive an unexpected message from a friend or acquaintance promoting any kind of investment, reach out to that friend through a different medium to confirm it’s really them.
• Avoid external communication: Be alert of anyone asking you to switch platforms, especially from Facebook Messenger to WhatsApp or another app.
• Look out for red flags:
  • Promises of high returns on Bitcoin or cryptocurrency investments.
  • Invoices or payment requests sent via WhatsApp.
  • Urgency or pressure to make quick payments to a local bank account.
• Never share personal information. Your bank details, ID, or passwords should never be shared over social media or messaging apps.
• Report Suspicious Activity. If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, report the account to Facebook, WhatsApp, or the Bank immediately.

Resientemente un método nobo di ‘phishing’ i ‘scamming’ ta tuma lugá kaminda malechornan (Scammer) ta aserká víktimanan imprevisto via plataformanan di media sosial ta usa un kuenta falsu di Facebook pa estaf’a e víktima .

Un splikashon kon e ‘scam’ ta tuma lugá i algun tep pa bo tene na kuenta i pa protehá bo mes.

Fase 1: Scammer ta aserká bo via ‘Facebook Messenger’

E trampa (scam) ta kuminsá ora e malechor (scammer) ku ta pretendé di ta un amigu òf konosí i ta inisiá un diálogo via Facebook Messenger. Nan ta usa kuentanan di Facebook òf perfíl falsu ku ta parse di un amigu di e víktima. E familiaridat ku e malechor ta usa ta pone ku hopi hende ta kere ku nan ta papia ku un hende di konfiansa.

E malechornan aki ta promové un "oportunidat di invershon" ku tin di haber ku Bitcoin òf otro ‘crypto currency’. E wèpsait kaminda nan ta dirigí e víktima ta parse kompletamente legítimo, pero esaki ta un estafa. Desafortunadamente ora e ‘scammer’ identifiká e víktima ku nan skohe, nan por blòkia akseso di e víktima na su propio kuenta di Facebook kual ta hasi’é difísil pa e viktima lokalisá (‘trace’) òf kita e mensahenan.

Fase 2: Transishon pa WhatsApp

Ora e malechor logra establesé konfiansa ku e viktima, nan ta konvensé e víktima pa sigui ku e kòmbersashon via WhatsApp. Debí ku WhatsApp ta pèrmití e malechornan tin mas privasidat i distansia kompará ku via Facebook, ku tin mas detekshon, i por reportá un persona mas fásil. Via WhatsApp e malechor ta manda imágen falsu huntu ku fakturanan falsu òf imagen ( ‘screenshot’) di kuentanan di banko falsu pa hasi e estafa parse mas real.

Fase 3: Fakturanan falsu i preshon pa hasi pago

Unabes e situashon ta via WhatsApp, e malechornan ta hasi mas esfuerso mandando fakturanan òf screenshot falsifiká di transakshonnan eksitoso di cryptocurrency, ku intenshon pa prueba ku e ’estafa’ ta legítimo. E imágennan aki ta sumamente konvinsente i ta usa pa pone preshon riba e víktima pa hasi pago. E malechornan regularmente ta eksigí ku e pagonan mester wòrdu hasi na un number di kuenta lokal usando diferente historia falsu pa hustifiká esaki.

Fase 4: Petishon di informashon personal i uso di e víktima komo un "Money Mule”

Segun e estafa ta progresá, malechornan ta kuminsá pidi pa informashon personal sensitivo di e víktima, manera: detaye di kuenta bankario òf ID. E dato personal aki por wòrdu usá pa robo di identidat den futuro.

Kiko bo por hasi pa protehá bo mes?

• Verifiká si ta bo amigu òf konosí mes a manda e mensahenan. Si bo risibí un mensahe inesperá di un amigu of konosí ku ta promové kualke tipo di invershon, yama òf tuma kontakto ku e amigu via un otro medio di komunikashon pa verifiká si ta realmente é.
• Evitá komunikashon eksterno. Ta importante pa pone atenshon si e hende ta pidi pa kambia bai riba un otro plataforma, spesialmente for di Facebook Messenger pa WhatsApp òf otro aplikashon.
• Paga tinu riba señalnan ku ta indiká peliger manera:
  • Promesanan di ganashi haltu riba Bitcoin òf invershonnan ku ‘crypto currency’.
  • Faktura òf petishon di pago via WhatsApp. Chèk si e fuente ta di konfiansa.
  • Urgensia òf preshon pa hasi pago lihé riba un kuenta di banko lokal.
• Nunka kompartí informashon personal, bo detayenan di bo kuenta di banko, ID, òf number sekreto via media sosial òf otro aplikashon.
• Raportá aktividat sospechoso. Si bo ta sospechá ku un hende ta purba estafá bo, raportá e kuenta/perfil na Facebook, WhatsApp, òf bo Banko mesora.
• Si bo tin sospecho di estafa usando òf refiriendo na bo kuenta bankario, raportá esaki mesora na banko na: [email protected]