07/14/2010 - Caution: Be Wary of Appeals for Help from Friends Traveling Abroad
The Internet Crime Complaint Center continues to receive reports of individuals’ e-mail or social networking accounts being compromised and used in a social engineering scam to swindle consumers out of thousands of dollars.
Hackers are infiltrating individuals’ social networking pages, claim to be them, and write to their contacts and friends. They portray themselves as “victims” who were robbed while traveling abroad and state they need money immediately because they don’t have a passport, money, credit cards, or cell phone and are stranded.
Some claim they only have a few days to pay their hotel bill and promise to reimburse costs upon their return home. Recipients may be tempted to respond to these appeals because they appear to be from a friend and there’s a sense of urgency to help.
If you receive a similar notice and aren’t sure if it is a scam, you should always verify the information before sending any money.
If you have any questions or encounter a similar situation, please contact Joe Kleinberg, BPBT’s Security and Fraud Prevention Manager.
