Cheated to death on social media

CHICO – It seems like there has been an awful lot of death hoax activity on social media lately.

One particular scam I keep seeing is probably some kind of phishing scam. I’ve probably seen it three times in the last two weeks alone.

Maybe you’re scrolling through Facebook and a post from one of your friends pops up saying something vague like “We’ll miss him” or “I can’t believe she’s really gone,” without any context. Of course, your first instinct is to hit the comments and ask what happened, but by the time you get there, your friend has already pasted a link in the comments.

I’m sure you already know what I’m getting at, but don’t click on that link. If you do, you’ll be redirected to a website that will most likely lock you down, collect information, and eventually hack your Facebook profile and share the exact same post to get others to click on the link. It will spread like wildfire.

This is a scam that is probably as old as social media. I remember these questionable links popping up back in the days of MySpace. They pique your curiosity and fear, luring you into clicking. You might be worried that someone you know has died, and the next thing you know, you have to restart your phone or computer to get away from a web page that loads God knows what onto your device.

The best thing to do is to avoid the post altogether and assume it is a scam. If you are unsure, you can leave your own comment, but do not click on any links that are replied to or sent to you.

Be safe out there, folks, and don’t forget your sunscreen and bug spray.

Scam of the Week typically appears every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have encountered by calling 828-1329 or emailing [email protected].