Facebook scam aims to tug at the heart strings
DAMBefore You Share, 3 Ways To Tell If A Facebook Post Is A Scam. DO NOT CLICK SHARE! That is, unless you are absolutely sure the post you're sharing is legit. You have probably seen an uptick lately in posts people are sharing that show lost and/or abused children or animals. In one specific case I've seen lately, people are sharing a picture of a lost urn containing ashes and the original poster is desperately looking for the urn's owners. These posts are aimed to tug at the heart strings so people that have genuine empathy for others will share it. However, the intentions of the original poster are never good.
What happens is, once the post is shared hundreds and thousands of times, the original poster will edit the post and include something they're either selling or that contains a link that prompts people to click. Once that link is clicked, it will infect your computer with malware and it will make you and your friends an easy target of giving up your personal information. A crafty scam that is getting bigger and bigger. But there are ways you can tell if a post is a scam. Here are the main tips to look for BEFORE you hit "share."
You don't know who the original poster is
If you don't know who the original poster is, do your due diligence. LOOK AT THEIR PAGE. If their page ONLY INCLUDES POSTS LIKE THAT ONE, chances are it's a scammer.
When comments have been disabled
Look at the post. If comments have been disabled, chances are it's a scam. The scammer disables the comments to people can't write anything that will foil their plot.
When the post has comments disabled AND is posted in a community page ONLY
These scam posts are mostly in town community pages. So be on the lookout and do your due diligence to check all of the information mentioned above. Is the original poster real? Meaning, does their page ONLY include those types of posts? Are the comments disabled? Etc.
