Gmail and Hotmail users have been warned about fake messages from Facebook that could steal your details.
This is a warning for Gmail and Hotmail users! If you use Gmail or Hotmail, you need to be on the lookout for fake messages that are claimed to be from the Facebook Support team. As reported by express.co.uk, cybersecurity experts at Trustwave have highlighted a phishing email that says a Facebook user’s account is at risk of being deleted and asks the user to click a link. The main program behind all of this is getting the Facebook user’s login information.
As reported by Trustwave, one of the phishing messages they detected, was labeled ‘new message from Facebook’ and the email said “Your page has been scheduled for deletion after violating Community Standards”. If we do not receive a response from you within 48 hours, the page in question will be automatically deleted. You can appeal this decision below by visiting your support mailbox” .
The fraudulent email then has a Claim Now button that Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook, and other client users can click. However, when you click on the link, it will lead you to a fake Facebook complaint page. There, you will be able to chat about the issue. Through the chat, you will be asked to provide your details such as name, email address, mobile number, among others as part of the appeal process. You may even be asked to provide two-factor authentication details. However, you need to be aware that the messenger chat is fake and this scene has been created to make you believe the letter is real.
You should not give such details to anyone as it can not only lock your Facebook account but if they reuse the password across multiple services it can lead to hackers taking locked for all other services.
However, after the scam was discovered by Trustwave, the fake Facebook pages related to the scammer and this scam website were taken down. But you need to be vigilant and not fall into any other type of mail. Trustwave said “there is no reason to believe that another threat actor may not use similar tactics in the future.”
Speaking about the threat, Trustwave said: “Chatbots serve a huge purpose in digital marketing and face-to-face support, so it’s no wonder that cyber attackers are now abusing the feature. People aren’t inclined to question its content, especially if it comes from a seemingly authentic source.The fact that spammers are taking advantage of the platform they’re mimicking makes this campaign a hit. into a perfect social engineering.”
