Think Before Clicking on a Friend’s Message Link Via Facebook

When you think it can't happen to you, you can become most vulnerable to a scam.

Many people that I know use Facebook Messenger to communicate with one another. While it's another way to share with people you care about it can also be a place where someone lurks around waiting to take advantage of you.

Chris Babin, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, says it's always a good idea to think before you hit a link.

Babin joined us to talk about a recent incident reported to the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana's Scam Tracker. A person from Lafayette says that they gave a hundred dollars to a "friend" via Messenger as the friend said he had been researching crypto currently, and thought it would be good for his friend to invest.

Unfortunately, the "friend" was actually someone who hacked his real friend's Facebook Messenger account.

Babin says this is just one example of why they have the Scam Tracker tool available on the BBB website. You can lose your money quickly because if you really know a person, why wouldn't you trust your friend with an investment opportunity.

One good piece of advice is to independently confirm with your friend whatever opportunity they are offering or purchase they want you to make. You can pick up the phone and ask them before giving them your money.

It's also important to really trust a link you click on before you click on it. Whether you receive the link in Facebook Messenger, your email, or via text message. Always do some independent checking on anything when someone is asking for your money.

Often scammers will send fake email and text messages or take over accounts in Facebook Messenger to lure unsuspecting people into their trap. They can steal your money, and they can steal your identity.

As Babin reminds us, we all work very hard for our money, so anytime something happens, pause before clicking on a link. You can also report what kind of attempts to scam you have already been attempted by using the Scam Tracker tool. You can see what others in our area have also experienced.

Thankfully, the person that this happened to reported the incident to Scam Tracker, so this helps all of us.