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Facebook Messenger scams are on the rise – here’s how to protect yourself

<p><strong>Facebook Messenger scams prey on our vulnerabilities</strong></p> <p>Scams through Facebook’s Messenger platform are being reported at higher rates than ever before, according to AARP, citing its own data as well as that of the government. Since Facebook’s early days, cybercriminals have been mining Facebook’s direct-messaging capabilities to scam unsuspecting victims out of money. One of the earliest Facebook Messenger scams involved a message, purportedly from a friend, claiming they were stuck in a foreign country and in desperate need of immediate financial assistance to get out. It wasn’t really the friend, however, but rather a scammer who had hacked into the friend’s account. </p> <p>Imposter scams such as “the friend in a foreign country” have evolved and proliferated over the years. The common thread is the scammer either creates an account impersonating an actual Facebook account or hacks into an existing Facebook account. In either case, the scammer then uses the fake/hacked account to send private messages to the account holder’s friends that elicit either money or personal information. The messages vary, but all are designed to prey on our human vulnerabilities, including:</p> <ul> <li>the desire to be a “hero”</li> <li>the desire to appear “generous”</li> <li>the desire to win “free money”</li> <li>the desire to be loved and admired</li> <li>the desire to avoid shame or punishment</li> </ul> <p>If a scammer tries to message you, report them, Facebook advises, but that begs the larger question of how does one recognise a Facebook Messenger scam?</p> <p><strong>Current Messenger Facebook scams</strong></p> <p>According to Facebook and our cybersecurity experts, here are the most common Facebook Messenger scams today:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Romance scams</em></span>. Preying on our desire to be loved and admired, romance scammers appear as attractive strangers with sad stories and a desire to love and be loved. The most effective romance scammers will friend a number of mutual friends before reaching out to any of them, in an attempt to make themselves seem less like strangers and more like people in the same social network. Many use photos they’ve stolen off the Internet and many pose as members of the military or as doctors, in an attempt to inspire trust, admiration, and even authority. What they all have in common is they can’t meet you just yet because they’re somewhere far away, and although it may take a bit of time, even as much as several weeks, they will eventually ask you to send money so that they can come to see you.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Lottery scams</em></span>. Preying on our desire for “free money,” lottery scammers appear as friends or organisations who are thrilled to tell you you’ve won money in some lottery or contest. The common thread? It’s a contest you have no recollection of having entered and to get the prize, you’ll have to either pay a fee or “refundable” advance or provide personal information.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Inheritance scams</em></span>. Also preying on our desire for free money, inheritance scammers claim to be lawyers or others who represent someone who has died and supposedly left you their estate or some portion of it – but first, you’ll have to fork over some money or personal information.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Loan scams</em></span>. Another variation on the “free money” theme is the loan scam, whereby the scammer promises low-interest loans with no money down – except for a “refundable” application fee. Facebook points out that loan scammers may send messages via Messenger and also leave posts and comments on Pages and in Groups to legitimise themselves. However, legitimate lenders wouldn’t offer loans via Facebook Messenger, nor would they ask you for money to proceed with a loan application.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Donation scams</em></span>. Facebook specifically warns users to watch out for “famous people” or people claiming to represent a charity hitting them up for a donation. Donation scams, which are easy money for a scammer because they are a direct request for payment, prey on our desire to be perceived, or to perceive ourselves, as generous.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>“Hey, is this you?” scams</em></span>. Consumer Affairs warns of this “phishing scam” that uses the threat of shame to goad you into giving up personal information. The scammer hacks into one of your Facebook friend’s Messenger accounts and sends you a video, asking if it’s really you in the video, and implying there’s something in the video that could embarrass you. If you ever get a message like this, Consumer Affairs urges you to ignore and delete it to avoid giving away personal information or introducing a virus onto your computer.</p> <p><strong>Red flags to watch out for</strong></p> <p>Unfortunately, Facebook Messenger scams evolve rapidly (as soon as we suss them out, there are several more to replace them). So, it’s a good idea to be aware of these warning signs that we culled from our experts:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Someone is asking you for money</em></span>. While Facebook warns specifically against strangers asking for money, Rachel Wilson, investigative coordinator for The Smith Investigation Agency, points out to Reader’s Digest that any time anyone asks you for money over Messenger, it’s immediately suspect. “If friends or family ask you to help them in an emergency, always call to speak with them personally to confirm that the message originated with them.”</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Someone is getting a little too personal</em></span>. When someone sends you a message requesting personal information, especially financial information, it should be considered suspicious, advises Sean Messier, credit industry analyst for Credit Card Insider. Messier suggests not revealing any such information until you’re certain the message-sender is who they claim to be, but it’s probably also a good idea to never reveal any such information over Messenger at all.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Someone is offering something for free</em></span>. You know how they say there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Well, there’s no such thing as free money on Facebook, points out Robert Siciliano, security expert. This is true for any kind of “free money” Messenger message, including those involving lotteries, loans, contest winnings, inheritances, lost bank accounts, and reimbursements of money owed.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Someone who wants to take the conversation off Facebook (to text or email, etc)</em></span>. Facebook warns against taking conversations off Facebook unless you’re absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the message sender is who they say they are.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Messages that seem out of character for the sender</em></span>. If a message seems “out of the norm” for the sender, trust your instincts and ignore it. This is doubly true if the message includes an attachment. Be very wary of opening attachments in general, and particularly if something seems “off” about the message or the sender.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Messages rife with spelling and grammatical errors</em></span>. Facebook points out that when a message is filled with typos and grammatical errors, you should have your guard up. A single typo is one thing, but things like the misspelling of names and places are a big red flag.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Messages from new accounts with few friends</em></span>. Roger Thompson, CEO of Thompson Cybersecurity Labs, points out that new accounts with few friends should always be considered suspicious until confirmed otherwise. Friend requests from such accounts and from duplicate friend accounts should be considered suspect as well.</p> <p>To avoid getting hacked (and used by a cybercriminal in an imposter scam), Wilson recommends updating your social media passwords regularly and always use two-factor authentication. She also notes that with Facebook use increasing among seniors, it would be a good deed to speak to older family members about Messenger scams and how to avoid them.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/facebook-messenger-scams-are-on-the-rise-heres-how-to-protect-yourself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

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How to get more out of Facebook Messenger

<p>Although people typically install it on their phones to chat privately with their Facebook friends, Facebook also uses Messenger to bring features and capabilities that might not make sense, or even be possible, as part of the main Facebook service.</p> <p>For that reason, Facebook is pushing users to download the app, even though it takes up valuable storage on the phone.</p> <p>Before you complain, consider what a separate Messenger app offers beyond simply typing words and sending emoji back and forth:</p> <p><strong>Group chats</strong></p> <p>Messenger lets you easily add friends to group chats so you can make dinner or travel plans or just talk about your day. Although this is also possible using your browser, it's more convenient with the app.</p> <p>Tapping the "groups'' icon at the bottom of the screen will take you to existing group chats and let you start new ones. You can add people to group chats at any time, or leave the group. If you have an often-used group chat, you can also "pin'' it to the top of your messages to make it easily accessible.</p> <p><strong>Bots</strong></p> <p>Who wants to chat with people when you can chat with ... bots? Well, most of us, but bear with me here.</p> <p>Since April, Facebook has let outside businesses create "chat bots'' that can send you the news or weather, help you shop for shoes or book plane tickets and hotel rooms. You send a message to a brand's bot just as you would a friend; the difference is that the reply is automated through software. The results can be clumsy, as expected for such a new venture.</p> <p>But bots can be helpful. Expedia, for example, lets you search for hotels and book them by messaging with its bot. Start by telling the bot where you are going and when. After some back and forth, the bot will give you hotel options. To book, the bot will take you to Expedia's website.</p> <p>This is just the start. Perhaps one day, the bot will be more useful by letting you book directly through Messenger. David Marcus, Facebook's head of messaging products, has called bots "overhyped in the short term and underhyped in the long term".</p> <p>Beware, though: Once you start chatting with a bot, it's going to keep sending you messages, much like a chatty friend. CNN, for example, will send news updates through Messenger every morning.</p> <p><strong>Video calls</strong></p> <p>Your daughter isn't on Skype? FaceTime isn't cutting it because your friend has Android?</p> <p>Messenger offers yet another way to do video calls on your phone. It's free over a wifi connection. If you use cellular, you might get charged for data by your phone company.</p> <p><strong>Play games</strong></p> <p>How about some football? Select a friend to play with. Then, select Messenger's emoji keyboard by tapping on the emoji icon on the left side of your message window, right above the keyboard. Tap the ball icon and send it to your friend. Then, tap the ball with your finger and keep tapping it so it stays in the "air".</p> <p>Do you use Facebook Messenger? Do you think you’ll have advantage of these other functions? Let us know in the comments section, we’d love to hear from you.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/07/tips-to-get-the-most-out-of-facebook-messenger/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">6 tips to get the most out of Facebook Messenger</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/01/8-facebook-messager-tips/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">8 tips to help you master Facebook Messenger</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/09/how-to-avoid-parking-fines-with-your-smartphone/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>How to avoid parking fines with your smartphone</strong></span></em></a></p>

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6 tips to get the most out of Facebook Messenger

<p>If you’re one of the 900 million people who use Facebook messenger on a daily basis, you’ll know that it’s fast becoming one of the world’s favourite messaging act. Not only does Facebook Messenger give you the ability to chat but you can also send money, video call and a whole lot more. Make sure you’re getting the most out of the app by using these top tips.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Anyone can use messenger</strong> – Even if you don’t have Facebook, you can still use messenger, all you need it a telephone number. You can download the app in your app store or use the web app at messenger.com</li> <li><strong>Find your secret inbox</strong> – Messages from strangers along with spam are filtered out of your primary inbox into a ‘secret’ second inbox. To access it, Open the Messenger app on your smartphone, tap Settings &gt; People &gt; Message Requests &gt; scroll down and tap See Filtered Requests.    </li> <li><strong>Multiple messenger accounts on the one devic</strong>e – If you have an android device you can enable it so that multiple people can log into Facebook messenger. To do this, open the Messenger app on your Android device go to Settings then Accounts and tap the ‘+’ icon to add more accounts. The first time an account is switched to a new account the password will be required. After which you can choose whether a password will be required each time.  </li> <li><strong>Phone, video and group calls</strong> – Making a phone call in messenger is super simple. Simply tap the phone or video icon next to the name of the person you want to chat to. You can also make a group call with up to 50 participants.</li> <li><strong>Get a weather update, set reminders and even order online</strong> – Facebook introduced “chat bots” in April which allow users to interact with various companies and complete a variety of different tasks.</li> <li><strong>Share files, song and more</strong> – There are a variety of other apps integrated to work with messenger including music sharing site Spotify, file sharing site Dropbox and many more. To share files and music in a conversation tap the more icon and you will see a full list of the available apps.</li> </ol> <p>Do you use Facebook Messenger? What for? Share your experience in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/06/14-tricks-that-will-change-how-you-use-your-ipad/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">14 tricks that will change how you use your iPad</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/06/the-best-technology-for-keeping-in-touch/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The best technology for keeping in touch</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/technology/2016/05/hints-for-using-gmail/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">5 hints for using Gmail</span></em></strong></a></p>

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