I know very little about technology. I can admit that. I know my limitations in life. I am comfortable sharing my limitations. I also know that I am not a complete idiot and I usually do not just fall for things. Please learn from my mistake.

I was barely awake when I received a message via Facebook Messenger. It was from a friend that I have known for 23 or 24 years. It was someone that I had been very close with at one point, but have not actually seen or talked with for a very long time. She asked for my cell phone number. No red flags yet because this is someone who changed phones relatively frequently, so I was not surprised that she no longer had my number.

Anyway, she video called me through Facebook Messenger, so I saw her face, but there was no sound. I later learned, from the police, that this particular tactic is how they get people to trust them. They would have been recording me during this time to use against people in my friends list later.

Back to my scam. She tried to video call me again, but still no sound. So, she texted me that she needed help getting back into her facebook account and that the retrieval number would be sent to my phone. I, mistakenly, gave the 6 digit number over without giving too much thought. She then asked me for $200 (I am sure you saw the scam right away, but again, I had just woken up and I had seen her face on video!). I said no. I soon got a text from a friend, asking if I am selling a car. I texted my friend and said that she took over my account. She said if I wanted it back, then it would be $100. I didn’t give any money and stopped sending messages, blocking the number.

The hacker then used that to take over my facebook page and posted a picture of a car for sale for super cheap and then started to ask my friends to send them money (all posed as me). I then got bombarded by friends verifying. By then, I was completely locked out of Facebook. It is a holiday weekend and I cannot get the situation rectified. I went to the police and of course, there is nothing they can do. Anyone who puts up a post as a warning, they take down immediately 

It is hard not to feel stupid. Really, I just feel bad for anyone who loses money because of this situation. I haven’t, but I cannot guarantee that someone else won’t. Lesson learned is to be more careful for sure! I am also trying to warn everyone I can. Good luck out there!