Beware, ‘Look who died’ message is a scam

Hyderabad: A new online scam has surfaced on social media. Several users have posted the weird message they received either on Facebook or WhatsApp through some known or unknown online friends.

This message apparently starts with “Look who died in an accident I think you know him so sorry...” It also contains a link.

Let’s see how this scam works.

What is a phishing scam?

NIST defines phishing as a technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a website, in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person.

Performing a keyword search, we landed on a website called DataProt which writes about ongoing scams and cyber security threats.

According to an article titled “Keep an Eye Out For the “Look Who Died” Messenger Hack.” DataProt warns, “If you’re using Facebook, be on the lookout for a message asking you to see who died, and make sure not to click on it.”

It further adds, ‘”…it’s actually a phishing scam that can steal your login information or install malware on your device.”

The article also mentions how and what you are going to risk by clicking on such links. Hackers are determined to gain access to this information, so they can use it themselves or sell it to someone else, it states.

Click here to know about what you can do to save your data if you accidently click on a phishing scam link.

You can also reach out to Facebook’s Help Centre to address the issue or scam.