GREENSBORO, N.C. — Scammers are sinking to new lows of desperation, this time hoping death will 'do you part' with your personal information.
An alarming post is circulating like wildfire on Facebook this January. The poster tags numerous friends and reads some variation of, "Can't believe you're gone. I'm going to miss you. R.I.P." It then includes a link to click presumably to an obituary...or so you think.
It is a classic scam dubbed, "Look who died." Malware experts have warned of it for years, and the Better Business Bureau of Central and Northwest North Carolina is sounding the alarm about the recent posts.
"When you click the link, you're prompted to enter your user name and password for your Facebook account, but all you've done is given a scammer your user name and password and downloaded malware onto your device. Now, your profile is going to send out this same post and link to all of your friends," said the BBB's Lechelle Yates.
She explained schemers know sudden deaths trigger emotions, and you are likely to let down your guard to click a link that otherwise would be a red flag.
The first step to take if you click the link is to change your password immediately, but that is not enough to protect all data.
"Head to the security settings (on your computer and phone) and remove any settings and locations you don't recognize, and you want to do the same with apps. Check the e-mail addresses associated with your account. If you see some unknown ones, remove them, as well."
The final step, perhaps the most critical long-term, is two-factor authentication -- allowing access to your social media only with a code you get via text or e-mail..
"I know, I hate it, too, but it really is essential," Yates admitted.
Lastly, do the friends who tagged you in the phishing post a favor -- let them know their accounts might be compromised, and they should follow the same steps you did. This proactive approach sends a strong signal to the scammers...we're onto them.