This article is from Trend Micro
This week we’ve been tracking a particularly horrendous scam attempt. Posts have been going viral on Facebook in relation to a supposed missing-person case. The individual in question is Tyler Griffin, a young actor known for his role in the Insidious film franchise. The posts claim that Griffin, based in Florida, has been missing for several days and that his family are understandably desperate for any information. Users are encouraged to comment and share widely in an attempt to help find the boy.
Readers may notice, however, that these posts are being shared on trade pages — seems an odd venue for missing person posts, right? This is unfortunately a SCAM — and a pretty cynical one at that, by profiting off of people’s goodwill and desire to help. What happens is that, once the posts have received enough online traction (shares etc.) the scammers will then alter the content of the post to advertise rental listings on dodgy real estate websites, as well as online surveys. You can see the transition in the posts below.
Aside from the moral issue of manipulation, the links themselves lead to phishing pages where the intention is to harvest people’s personal information. Don’t fall for it! Thankfully, other users are aware that it’s a scam and have been warning their fellow Facebook users — as seen below.
To summarize, Tyler Griffin is perfectly safe at home, and this is a cynical scam. Beware of such posts in the future — it is an old tactic, used by scammers on Facebook.
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Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
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