Most social media users are familiar with the all-too-common friend or message request from an account that appears to be someone they know, but one of the seedy reasons this happens is part of a larger scam, according to police.
“For years, cybercriminals have used social media to post fake listings for popular items such as furniture or electronics. As these scams have grown in popularity, many people have learned to be careful when buying items online from strangers,” Kingston Police said in a press release on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022.
“Now, cybercriminals are impersonating people you trust to lure you into their fake listing scams.”
Police explained that, in a recent scam, cybercriminals have been using “social engineering to gain access to the social media accounts of everyday users, like your friends and family.” In other words, the scammers hack or spoof the accounts of real everyday people, often using the same name, profile photo, and bio information as the accounts of real people. Once they have done this, the fraudsters will post items for sale from the hacked or fake accounts, police said.
“Since the listing appears to be from someone who you know and trust, it may…
