Facebook based money scam

We have been made aware that there is a scam operating on Facebook that is looking to con people by requesting they deposit money into a fake account.

Detective Jon Cooper said: "The fraudsters are doing this by hacking a victim’s account and then messaging the victim’s ‘friends’ asking them to lend them some money, normally around £400 and depositing the money in the fake account. Some local people’s businesses have also been targeted by hackers accessing a victim's Facebook account.

“Sadly, some of these attempts have been successful and naturally the victims are feeling violated and taken advantage of. I would please urge everyone to be vigilant of this scam and to never digitally deposit money to anyone’s account without confirming in person if possible it is in fact someone they know.

“Some online scams are very clever and very convincing however there are steps you can take to help protect yourself –

• Strong passwords are nonsensical and made up of a mixture of letters, numbers and punctuation.
• Make sure you update your software and your antivirus before using the internet.
• Always check when banking online that the ‘https’ shows the connection is secure.
• Remember to shred documents containing personal details before throwing away.
• Think scams. If an online bargain seems too good to be true it probably is.

"For more information about the #BeCyberSmart campaign go to: www.westmercia.police.uk/becybersmart. To learn about staying safe online visit: www.getsafeonline.org"

Issued by AG, Corporate Communications