Australian Facebook user accounts have been hacked, opening them up to facebook scammers who then use the account to send live chat messages to their friends asking for help.
“Several of my friends received a message through Facebook Chat from their online Facebook friends,” one user, Nick, said.
The messages claimed the person was “on a trip to London, but had been mugged, and was now marooned without passport or cash somewhere in North London,” he said.
The ploy usually culminates in a request for a Western Union money transfer.
Digital strategist Mark Neely found out his account had been hacked when a friend called to ask if he was alright.
“I immediately attempted to log into Facebook, but the password had been changed,” he said. “I tried to reset the password, but the email address linked to my Facebook account had also been changed. I could not access my account.”
Facebook’s security team has begun work on the account data to try to pinpoint the perpetrators and, depending on the relevant jurisdiction, will be working with law enforcement to track them down. To learn more about the legal implications of identity theft, contact your local solicitor.
