Look who died scam doing the rounds on Facebook, here is what it is and how to stay safe

If you click on the link to read the article, you will be asked to enter your Facebook username and password. However, this is a trap. If you ever get a message from any of your friends that seem suspicious, do not open it as it might be a trap to rob you off your personal data. There is a new scam called "Look who died", which is doing the rounds in Australia. A lot of people have fallen for the scam and lost their personal data. Some cases have been reported in India too. The scam has been designed to make people click on the link and coax them to enter their personal details. The hacker impersonates a friend on Facebook and then sends a message on Messenger. The message says something like "look who just died" and includes a link to a news article. They might even mention that you know the person or express sadness to make it seem more believable. I can confirm that the scam is real because a couple of days ago, I received a text from a Facebook friend, who I have not spoken to in ages. The message was out of the blue but I was almost startled by it. However, I was extremely cautious about clicking on the link.
How does Look who died scam works on Facebook?
If you click on the link to read the article, you will be asked to enter your Facebook username and password. However, this is a trap. The link contains harmful software that allows hackers to steal your login information and personal details from your Facebook account.
Once they have access to your account, they lock you out and take control. Then, they send the same message to all your friends on your friends' list. This way, the scam spreads even further.
Hackers can also steal other personal data associated with your Facebook account, like your email addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates. They can use this information to break into your other online accounts, including those not related to Facebook. If you have bank details or financial information linked to your account, they can even steal your money.
It's important to note that this phishing scam can appear not only on Facebook but also in emails or text messages. So you need to be cautious in all these platforms.
Experts advise not to click on any links in suspicious messages. If you are unsure about a message, talk to a friend to confirm its legitimacy.
Phishing scams have caused significant financial losses. In Australia alone, people have reported losing over 11.5 million dollars to phishing scams in 2023, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Scamwatch.In the UK, a report revealed that every seven minutes, a customer falls victim to an online shopping scam on either Facebook or Instagram. These scams cost consumers more than 500,000 pounds per week. Lloyds Banking Group estimates that more than two-thirds of all online shopping scams start on Facebook and Instagram.