How I Almost Fell for a Scam on Facebook: A Cautionary Tale

Recently, I found myself involved in a Facebook scam that left me in shock. It was a situation that could have cost me a substantial amount of money if I hadn't taken swift action. Here's what happened and the lessons I learned.

The Facebook Marketplace Scam

I was selling an item on Facebook Marketplace and received an offer for pre-payment via Interac eTransfer. The buyer, who claimed to be from Montreal, provided an email address, and I received what I initially believed to be a genuine Interac eTransfer notification for the full amount of the sale. Feeling confident, I selected my bank and logged in, but something seemed off. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the URL wasn't ... but rather a suspicious-looking page.

Realizing that I had fallen for a scam, I immediately contacted my bank. They confirmed that someone had been attempting to log into my account from Montreal but had been blocked. My account was subsequently locked, my password changed, and the bank advised me to perform a factory reset on my phone to protect my personal information.

Investigating the Scammer's Domain

Determined to learn more about the scammer, I checked the domain registration. The scammer had created the site on the very same day and registered it with Namecheap. To my surprise, the domain was associated with Iceland (country code IS). Later, when I checked again, the domain had disappeared, presumably taken down due to the incident.

Lessons Learned and Tips for Preventing Scams

This experience wasn't just a wake-up call; it reinforced the importance of staying vigilant when dealing with online transactions. The scammer's attempt to exploit my trust and offer me a large sum of money and a ring only served to highlight the manipulative nature of the fraud.

While the first attempt was unsuccessful, a romance scam targeted me through Facebook. The scammer pretended to be a UN doctor from Yemen with a tragic backstory, including a deceased wife and a daughter in boarding school. He claimed he was retiring and wanted to send me a large amount of money and a ring for safekeeping until he could arrive. I refused, as I didn't want his money and couldn't find a plausible reason to keep it.

He became aggressive and claimed I had "broke him." Later, he asked about STEAM cards, which I had never heard of, and said he needed them to update his computer. This was another red flag. When I blocked him on Facebook, he still had my photo and medical documents sent via a private app called Telegram. I reported him to both Facebook and Telegram, warning others of his deceptive behavior.

These experiences taught me the value of educating myself on various types of scams and being cautious when dealing with strangers online. It's crucial to verify claims and trust your instincts if something feels off.

Stay safe online, friends. Remember, no one is too old or too helpless to be targeted by a scammer. Keep a sharp eye, and always report suspicious behavior.