"Is this you in this video?" "I'm stuck, can you send $50?" "I won a grant, you're on the list too!" Messages from hacked friend accounts work because you trust the name on the screen.
Their account being real doesn't mean THEY sent it. A text or call to the actual person takes 30 seconds and unmasks the scam instantly. Trust the person, not the account.
Usually from a reused password or a phishing link they clicked. The crook now wears your friend's face and name.
"Is this you in this video? 😱" with a link. A grant or crypto "opportunity" that worked for them. A small emergency: "can you Venmo me $50, I'll explain later."
Click, see a fake Facebook login, type your password, and now the scam runs from your account next. Money asks go to Venmo/Zelle/gift cards, unrecoverable.
Too-cheap items, "deposit to hold it," overpayment checks, or moving the chat off-platform. The trusted-looking profile is doing the work.
Verify out-of-band: call or text the real person before clicking or paying. Every time.
Never log in from a message link. Open the app directly instead.
Lock your own account: unique password + two-factor, so YOUR face never runs this scam.
Marketplace: cash or card in person, no deposits to strangers, meet at a police-station exchange spot.
KCCS installs, secures, and watches business systems all over Southern Colorado. Get a free assessment — a real engineer walks your site and hands you a written punch list.
Or call 719-530-4040 · Response within 2 business hours