DETROIT – You've heard the saying you can't believe everything you read. That's especially true on Facebook and other social media. If someone reaches out to you with something that sounds too good to be true, you better be on high alert!
Scam artists targeted Kathleen Breish when she was especially vulnerable. She was in a rehabilitation facility recovering from some medical problems when she received a message on Facebook from a friend she's known for 15 years.
"She said that she got her $9,000 grant from the government...she said you need to do this Kathy. She says you really need to do this the day you come home because the funding may stop," Breish told Help Me Hank. What she didn't know at the time, this is one of the most common approaches scam artists will use on social media.
Instead, Breish says she had applied for a government grant in 2014, and she hoped the $9000 was connected to that application. There was a catch, she was told she would have to pay almost $1000 through a MoneyGram and then a check for $9000 would be delivered. One friend thought it sounded fishy.
"But, I said my friend guaranteed me that I would get my check within 6 hours. I says if it wasn't somebody that I knew really well, I wouldn't have done it," remembers Breish.
The check never comes!
This is where Breish made one of the biggest mistakes you can make when you get an unusual message on Facebook, other social media, via email or via text, she never contacted that friend on person or by phone to actually confirm the story.
Kathleen ended up sending $1000 to a scammer. The check, as you can imagine, never arrived.
"I now know that people can impersonate people you've known for 15 years," said Breish, still shaken by the whole deception.
Beware impostors of all kind!
Breish later found out her friend's Facebook account had been hacked a few times in the past. That's why it seemed to was chatting with a friend on Facebook. However, whenever you get messages about money or that seem too good to be true, you have to do additional research.
Help Me Hank has also done stories about scammers posing as celebrities like Kid Rock, and we've heard about scammers posing at Facebook CEO Mark offering prizes from the website. The goal each and every time is to rip you off.
What can you do?
The most important thing you can do to stop these scammers is do more research before giving anyone money. If a "friend" appears to be offering you the chance of a lifetime, call that friend at a number you know is correct or even visit them in person.
Whenever you hear about some easy money plan, do some research. Do a simple internet search and you'll usually see that other people have been scammed.
Whenever anyone asks you to pay by MoneyGram, prepaid debit cards, or other methods that cannot be traced realize that is a huge red flag. No legitimate businesses ask for those quick, untraceable payments.
Finally, don't be afraid to talk other people about the offer and really be prepared to listen.
"I would say to other people, 'Call a friend, call a relative, a son or a daughter that's younger than you and wiser," warned Breish.
If you suspect you're being scammed, you can also reach out to the Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker to see if other people have had similar problems and to report your experience. By sharing information with others, we can all work together to fight the scam artists trying to steal our money.
Track scams here.
If you'd like to help Kathleen Breish, struggling after losing that $1000, click here.
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