Beware of Facebook scam: Hijacked accounts, demand quick cash

In the hype of using social media accounts like Facebook, criminals has been all over the internet trying different scams to deceive people and steal money.

One of the common scam in Facebook is hacking someone’s account and use it to message that person’s friends or relatives claiming that they have an emergency where they need an immediate cash.

Just like the experience of Patrick Tolentino, who posted a Facebook scam alert on his timeline after his almost but quite encounter to the scammer who posed as his aunt, who is currently working in the United States (US).

“May nag-Facebook message sa’kin 2:30 ng madaling araw na tita ko na nasa States. Nanghihingi ng urgent favor. Magpadala daw ako 5,500 [pesos] sa kanya dahil aabutan daw s'ya ng cutoff sa emergency na kailangan bayaran. Malaki ang penalty.” Tolentino said. 

(My aunt messaged me through facebook around 2:30 a.m. asking for an urgent favor. She asked me to send money worth Php 5,500 because she might able to face higher penalty if she wouldn’t make it before the cut-off)

He was suspicious about the said message so he checked the profile first.

“Weird kasi hindi naman ako ang usually na tatakbuhan ng tita ko na ito kung may mga biglaan sila na need dito sa Pinas. So chineck ko muna ang profile. Tita ko nga talaga. Friends kami at may bago pa nga s'yang post tungkol sa Valentine,” Tolentino stated.

(It was weird because my aunt do not usually run to me if there’s an urgent matter she need to deal here in the Philippines. I checked her profile first. She was really my aunt. We’re friends in Facebook and she has also a new post about Valentines).

However, Tolentino is aware to different online scams so he decided to exchange messages to uncover her aunt’s poser.         

                                                   
   
                                         

        

                                                     
                                                                 
                                                      
                                                               

screenshots of conversations by Patrick Tolentino

                                                         
Based on their conversations, the poser was very familiar about his address. Tolentino was able to confirmed his suspicions when he mentioned his father, who is a stroked patient.
         
                                                                             

Screenshots by Patrick Tolentino

His post earned different reactions from people who have read his testimony and some told the same story regarding this Facebook scam.

The said post has  2.7 k likes and 9,418 shares at the moment.