Facebook Friends Request & Messenger Chat Scam

[lovjahupepl]

I wanted to post about a strange scam attempt that happened to me a few days ago on facebook.

 

I don't use facebook other than for JW homeschool groups and for my business presence.  I qot a friend request from someone in high school.  I thought it strange as they should have been in my friends list already however I approved the request.  I only approved it because it's the sister of a friend I had in high school.  I always hide all posts so I don't see what they do/say.  No one ever tries to talk with me I think they just like building their friends list.  I didn't think anything else about it.  However, later that afternoon I saw on my phone that they had tried to video call me through messenger.  I saw they left a message.  Below is the exchange we had;

 

PERSON: "How are you doing?". 

ME: "Ok, how about you?". 

FACEBOOK POPUP:  "Alert: Do you know this person?  It could be someone pretending to be this person". 

RESPONSE TO QUESTION: Yes

 

PERSON: "I've been trying to reach you.  Have you watched Sky News this week? "

==> Warning sign to me this may not be legit.  (Sky News is international who really would be watching that in the usa normally)

ME: "No"  

PERSON:  Have you heard about the GBL Program going on in the state this week?

==> Paused responding... while I google GBL Program, Sky News, etc. and couldn't find anything

ME:  How is your sister?

PERSON:  Sister?

PERSON: Who?

Me: You have a sister?  What is her name?

==> the person immediately disconnects and the photo of the person I know disappeared.  Strangely another icon with the person's face is right beside the icon that dropped showing her face.  Messenger said 'this person can no longer be reached.

==> I immediately  blocked that name on facebook and messenger

I messed up their plans.  I guess when I said "no i hadn't heard about the program they were talking about they were planning to  send me a link to click on".  However, by asking the questions I did they couldn't answer them.  I loved when they said "Sister?", "Who?".   Wasn't the response they were looking for.  I actually wasn't friend with the actual person in school I was close with her sister.  The real person would know this and be able to tell me her sister's name..

 

I don't converse with people on facebook and don't usually accept friends request anymore I just ignore requests.  However, this person should have already been in my friends list and so I accepted it because they were related to a close friend in school.   When they left a message I thought she may be contacting  me to tell me something happened to my friend.  Won't be doing that again.

 

Anyway, I looked up this scam and found that people will contact you on facebook and/or through messenger pretending to be someone you know and will send you a link to click.  If you click it they can gain access to your personal information and also can send message or try to contact everyone on your friends/contact list.  Everyone that clicks on the links provided phone will be compromised.

 

Just wanted to share because this could happen to family and friends that get contacted from someone they know but it isn't actually that person and they want to share links with them.

Edited July 23, 2021 by lovjahupepl