A malicious new scam is going around social media that you should be aware of which says “look who died in an accident”.
The viral phishing scam is flooding Facebook Messenger and TikTok this month. If you receive with the above text, we urge you not to click on it.
Phishing scams are common on social media and see criminals fraudulently deceiving people into revealing sensitive information.
Usually, they use messages or emails that contain a link which gives them information such as credit card details and passwords.
Beware of ‘look who died in an accident’ scam
The scam emerged in late 2022 but has skyrocketed in January 2023, with people all over the world experiencing the nasty messages.
You receive a DM from a random person that says “look who died in an accident, I think you know him,” before giving you a link to click on.
The message looks like it’s from a real Facebook or TikTok user and encourages you to click on the link to see if you know the person who has passed away.
Sometimes, the message appears as though it’s from one of your friends but their account has been hacked or compromised.
It’s a malicious fraud in which scammers are attempting to hack your computer or phone and steal your details if you click.
Malware Tips explains that when you click on the link, the same scam message is spread to your friends without your knowledge.
The scam looks like this:
This is the creepiest phishing lead I’ve ever seen “look who died in an accident I’m so sorry you knew him” from a obviously hacked Facebook account.
— Counter Action (@uscounteraction) January 24, 2023
If you receive a message like the above, do not click on the link. You should report the DM as fraudulent immediately.
How to report a message on Facebook Messenger:
- Open the message thread
- Hold down on the message
- Tap ‘Report’
- Select ‘Scams’
How to report a message on TikTok:
- Open the message thread
- Hold down on the message
- Press ‘Report’
- Tick the message you want to report
- Select ‘Confirm’
- Tap ‘Frauds and Scams’
Internet users warn of nasty scam
Many have taken to Twitter to warn others about the scam and tell people not to click on the link.
One person wrote: “Wowwww there is a fb scam going around where they say ‘omg look who died in an accident, I think you know him :(‘ and then it’s a link to a fishing site. That’s messed up.”
“If you get a message that says ‘Look who died in an accident I think you know them’ DO NOT OPEN IT!!” said another.
“It’s a scam and they will hack your contact information and all your friends sending them the same message. Just a heads up.”
A third person added: “This is the creepiest phishing lead I’ve ever seen ‘look who died in an accident I’m so sorry you knew him’ from an obviously hacked Facebook account.”
“Really really really messed up that the new FB Messenger hack is a message that says ‘look who died in an accident’ with a fraud link and I keep getting them,” someone else tweeted.
