There are so many scammers around now, it is super scary. I hear about social media scammers taking over social media accounts and demanding money, especially on Instagram. Luckily my Instagram is safe and secure so no issues there. However, I had an interesting encounter with a scammer on Facebook yesterday.

It started off with the scammer sending me a message on my Facebook page offering me $1500 every week in advance. All he said I needed to do was to publish 2 articles on my Facebook page every week for $1,500. As soon as I read his messages, my alarm bells went off!

First his approach was off! Brands hardly ever contact you first on social media, and if they do, that usually happens on Twitter, not Facebook. Message a blog is such an informal approach, so I am always cautious when I get messages on social media. Secondly, his grammar was all over the place and his Facebook profile didn’t match or refer to the website he was supposedly working for. Also, he mentioned he wasn’t trying to take over my Facebook page from the blues. I never accused him of that or even thought of it. All these made me super alert but the biggest giveaway was the amount he offered. No one ever offers $1,500 for 2 Facebook posts and opts to pay in advance. The offer was just too good to be true and you know what they say about offers like that.

I decided to play along with him and see where it goes. I accepted his offer and mentioned I took payment via Paypal. He was happy to pay via Paypal but first I needed to register on his Facebook page and that required me putting in my Facebook password. That was the end of our conversation. I declined and reported his profile and page to Facebook, while I was busy doing that, he quickly blocked me.

It looks like the scammers are after bloggers with established social media platforms. I have heard quite a few similar stories in the last few weeks and some of the scammers were unfortunately. What they do is take over the social media account once you put in your password on a website they send to you, and then try to sell the platform and threaten to delete your entire page if you don’t pay up. It is so pathetic and scary but these scammers are out there so we all have to be vigilant.

The lesson here is simple, when a deal looks too good to be true, it is. Best to take your time and make sure it is legit. Also, don’t click or put in your social media passwords into any website you are not 100% sure about. If in doubt, don’t do it.

I hope my experience with this Facebook scammer helps others who may come across people like the idiot I came across yesterday. Keep your eyes open while you are online. Scammers are everywhere now.

Have a good one.