SOUTHWEST, Fla. --- The Better Business Bureau is warning local residents of a new Facebook scam that involves fake government grant money.
Scammers generally look like a Facebook friends claiming users are eligible to receive "free" U.S. government grants. In the end, there is no free government grant, but instead, an elaborate scheme to steal personal information and money.
The Facebook message may even include a link to a law office, phony government website, or a real U.S. Government website to appear legitimate.
According to local law enforcement, residents who receive these types of messages should unfriend and block the user immediately. If the message comes form a person the user knows in real life, it's likely their account has been hacked or their profile has been cloned.
The Better Business Bureau ScamTracker data shows 508 Facebook Government Grant scams have been submitted in the past 3 years with losses totaling $361,744.
In addition, here are some tips you should keep in mind while on Facebook:
- Be careful with friend requests from strangers. We all want to have new friends, but try to keep your social networking friends to folks you know outside of the social media platform. If it appears the request is from a business contact or friend of a friend, send them a message after accepting to test their legitimacy. If they don’t seem real or connected to your life, un-friend them.
- Don’t blindly trust your current Facebook friends. You may receive a message from someone you have known all your life. That doesn't’t mean you must trust them inexplicitly. If the message seems out-of-character their account may have been hacked or cloned. Contact them offline and let them know.
