A new Facebook Messenger scam is reportedly circulating online. The hacker behind this cyberattack relies on sending a four-letter message to a potential victim.
The latest reports said that if you open a link that the suspect sends, you will be directed to a malicious website which will later steal some confidential information from you.
Four-Word Scam in Messenger App
7News was the first to report that the social messaging app has another case of scam to deal with. Several people complained that there's a four-word message which reads "look what I found." Additionally, this scam also contains emojis, so be careful when you encounter this alarming link.
As usual, scammers often rely on the links they use to deceive unaware victims. Particularly, these suspicious links lead the users to a questionable site or page wherein it will ask them to write their personal details on Facebook.
Potentially, this could also inject malware on your smartphone once you enter your credentials. You're not only exposed to identity and data theft, but also it could result in more serious harm to your device.
Facebook Messenger scam alert!! I got this message from two different Facebook friends today. These are hacked accounts sending out phishing messages.🚫 BE CAREFUL of clicking links like this if you receive a similar message. Do not enter your FB login information if asked.🚫 pic.twitter.com/jPFlDCifNS
— Mari Smith (@MariSmith) August 27, 2019
Furthermore, this phishing scam was seen to be hitting many users across the globe, particularly those who reside in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Regarding this Facebook Messengers scam, Leslie Sikos, a cyber security analyst from Edith Cowan University, said this cyber attack could lure the victims to link the suspicious links especially if they come from friends.
"Messages seemingly coming from a Facebook friend much more likely result in clicks than messages sent by strangers, because people might only or primarily focus on the sender's name at first rather than the message content, regardless whether that has red flags," Sikos said, News.com.au reported.
Related Article: Meta Sues Criminals Behind Phishing Scams on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram; Does Not Know the Hackers Yet
Check These Signs For Potential Scam
Sikos clarified that there are clear signs for a scam that you need to avoid. A handful of clues could give you a signal that it's indeed a dangerous hacking scheme.
For instance, she exemplified that the hackers could use a common style of sending a typical message to the recipient with no greetings whatsoever. She highlighted that oftentimes, these messages have grammatical or typographical errors.
For another hint, it's pretty obvious to distinguish these fake links since they look more "machine-generated" than the usual ones. When you click them, a new domain with random content will appear.
Furthermore, some clues point out that this scam could startle the victims during hours when they are about to sleep. If the message comes from someone you don't talk to often, it's another sign that you need to avoid at all costs.
Previously, Tech Times reported that Facebook Messenger will now issue a warning to users against imposters and scammers. The company wants to look forward to classifying them as "bad actors" to maintain the safety of users on the platform.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
