LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – Kansans have been cautioned to be cautious when purchasing things from individuals on social media sites, as it could be a trap.
On Friday, Aug. 23, the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office issued a fraud alert after residents reported a Facebook post offering numerous products for sale. The post advertised a variety of vehicles for sale, including trailers, Taylor Swift tickets, and other high-ticket things.
Law enforcement officers stated that the post was shared many dozen times before it was removed.
“In this case, someone hacked a civic leader’s Facebook account. After taking control of the Facebook account, the hacker posted many items for sale, according to County Attorney Todd Thompson. “This wasn’t a cloned account but a hack; that’s an important distinction.”
Investigators stated that a cloned social media account is a phony account made to imitate the victim. In a hacked account scenario, the attacker takes control of the victim’s actual account and so has built-in access to their friends list, messenger account, and contacts.
“The victim may not know their account has been compromised until a friend notifies them and after the damage has been done,” Thompson told CNN.
When someone hacks into an account, law enforcement officials say they virtually always change the email address and phone number linked with it. This stops the legitimate owner from recovering their account.
After a hacker has taken control, the Office has stated that they can offer items for sale, frequently with a story about why a loved one wants to sell their belongings. In most situations, these posts do not allow users to leave comments. The rest of the hacked profile may appear normal, except the post with the sold items.
One near-victim stated that a buddy had shared the initial message and vouched for the account holder’s credibility. They sent a message to the compromised account offering to buy a vehicle, but the hacker warned that the item was in high demand. They claimed to be out of town but agreed to collect a refundable payment to hold the automobile.
Law enforcement officials have warned residents to exercise caution while purchasing things online. If something appears too good to be true, it probably is.
“Before handing over money, conduct research and make every effort to verify the genuineness of the individual you’re dealing with. We’re grateful that no one has given the hacker money as of yet,” Thompson stated. “In this situation, we were told that the resident requested proof that he wasn’t being defrauded. When asked to provide a picture with the current date, the hacker gave a video of the person they hacked. The footage was stolen from the hacked account and originally shared by the legitimate account holder. These hackers will go to extraordinary lengths to obtain money or vital information.
Thompson emphasized that people can never be too comfortable online and should always have maximum security options activated, such as dual authentication, to help protect information. If users discover a cloned or hacked account, they should make every effort to contact the legitimate account holder securely.