JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM is working to protect your money by uncovering the tactics scammers use to target unsuspecting victims.
A local couple recently fell prey to a social media hack that spiraled into a series of fraud attempts.
From bogus car ads to hacked Venmo and credit accounts, the experience left them feeling helpless and frustrated with the lack of support from social media platforms.
Susan and Todd Hopper never expected their holiday season to turn into a cyber nightmare. It all started with a hacked Facebook account, which quickly escalated into a web of fraud.
“I had my computer cleaned out, you name it. We had it done. I mean, it was just, it was a mess,” Susan said.
Once the hackers took control of Susan’s Facebook account, they gained access to her Venmo and American Express accounts. They even used her identity to post a fraudulent car ad on Facebook Marketplace, attempting to scam her friends.
“My Facebook account was hacked to the point where I could not get back into it and basically, what they did was get into because of the marketplace. They got into my Venmo, hacked into my Venmo, my American Express, and then they tried to sell a car that I don’t even have asking for a deposit using my account,” Susan said.
Susan had no idea how the hackers gained access.
Fortunately, Susan and Todd were able to alert their banks in time to prevent financial loss. But their friends weren’t so lucky. Some were tricked into sending money for the fake car listing.
“So this is a common practice,” Susan said. “It seems that they hack into your account and then they see that you have 200 friends or whatever, and they say, ‘Oh, good. 200 friends, somebody’s gonna give. Somebody’s gonna slip up and they’re gonna give me money.’”
Expert Advice: How to Protect Yourself
Detective Bobby Fultz, a fraud investigator with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and former Secret Service agent, has seen scams like this countless times.
“It’s easier doing this than going out and robbing a bank,“ Fultz said. “A lot of the people we’re chasing are ghosts, and you have to track them down through electronics to find out who it really is.”
Tracking scammers can be challenging. So how can you protect yourself? Fultz advises moving beyond traditional passwords.
“Make it a passphrase, not a passcode or password, a passphrase. You can make up anything,” Fultz said. “I like bubble gum, and I drive a green car, whatever it is, just something of that nature. If you want to add a number in there or a special character, anything that you can remember.”
Beware of Fake Support Emails
The Hoppers’ troubles didn’t end there. When they searched for Facebook’s support email, they unknowingly contacted another scammer posing as tech support.
“I never thought that that could happen to me. I’ve heard about people being hacked, but not to this extreme,” Susan said.
Todd expressed frustration over the constant deception.
“You get to the point where you don’t know who to believe. LifeLock was calling us. And I’m going, yeah, really, sure, LifeLock, it’s like, no, you’re just another scammer. Go away,” Todd said.
Susan said feeling helpless was the hardest part.
“You absolutely feel helpless. There’s nothing you can do. You’re just at a loss,” Susan said.
Detective Fultz urges people to educate themselves about scams.
“If it’s too good to be true, it is,” Fultz said.
Stay Safe Online
To protect yourself from similar scams:
- Use passphrases instead of passwords.
- Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts.
- Never trust email support addresses found through a random Google search.
- Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.
If you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it immediately to local law enforcement and the appropriate financial institutions.
