Facebook users warned about ‘look who just died’ scam targeting people’s morbid curiosity

Facebook users have been warned about a bank-emptying scam that targets your morbid curiosity. Photo / 123rf

People are being made aware of a bank-emptying scam going around that targets Facebook users’ morbid curiosity.

The latest social media swindle is one of many ploys on Facebook used by hackers to gain users’ information, hack into their accounts and steal their money and data.

Dubbed the “look who just died” scam, the scheme starts with a hacker who hijacks a person’s Facebook account and then sends a message to a bunch of their social media contacts.

The message will include “Look who just died” with a link that seemingly appears to take you to a news story. Sometimes the message may feature phrases such as “So sad” or “I know you know him” to convince the target that a celebrity or someone close to them has died.

The link contains malware, which provides the hacker with the user’s personal information.

It may ask the recipient to enter their log-in details for the social media platform, providing the hacker with access to the account so they can scam more people.

The latest social media swindle is one of many ploys on Facebook used by hackers. Photo / AP

What’s more, if the victim has their bank details linked to their Facebook profile, the scheme will give the hacker access to that financial information, which will allow them to steal their money.

In similar scams, the link leads to malware that installs itself on the device, which might contain personal photos, passwords and identification documents deemed important.

While the con is mostly going around Facebook Messenger, experts have warned that it may also be circulating among emails and text message chains.

The best thing to do is not click on any links. A brief conversation with the sender might identify whether the message is from a friend or a scammer.

“Malware distributers have gotten increasingly savvy, and you need to be careful about what you download and click on,” the FBI says.

Social media users have been advised to keep their devices and software up to date with in-house antivirus or anti-malware systems. Photo / 123rf

Social media users who are worried about the scam have been advised to keep their devices and software up to date with in-house antivirus or anti-malware systems. Google Chrome, for example, has a malware detection service set up via the Settings menu.

If you think your account has been hacked, change your password immediately.

The “Look who just died” scam is the most recent of a number of hustles targeting Facebook users.

Facebook Marketplace sellers were recently warned about a fake PayID scheme that cost Aussies $260,000 ($280,000) last year.

It involved a scammer who contacted Facebook users selling an item on Facebook Marketplace, trying to steal money with a hoax payment platform.