Facebook Chat Scam
Here’s what happens:
The scammer gets into your friend’s Facebook account. Maybe your friend left his computer open or the scammer got hold of his password.
Using your friend’s account, the scammer opens a chat window with you. From where you’re sitting at your computer, it looks like it’s your friend chatting with you.
The scammer — pretending to be your friend — says he’s in trouble and needs money right away. Maybe he tells you he’s in another country and lost his wallet and passport and ticket home. Whatever the story is, it’s an emergency and he needs money right now!
The scammer tells you to send him money by Western Union or another money transfer service. Right away! Because he really needs it now.
Maybe you’re smart and think to check to see if this is really your friend. So you ask what school you went to or what colour a friend’s hair is or what your cat’s name is. The scammer answers correctly. Of course he does. He’s on your friend’s Facebook account where you can find all that information.
Moral of the story: Never send money when the request comes over the internet!
Read an article about the Facebook Advance Fee Scam here. It has a transcript of a whole chat between the writer and the scammer!
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