Consumer Advocate

Sign up for newsletters and other news
Media > Newsletters > Consumer Advocate > September 2011 > Scam artist hacks Facebook account, offers grant

Consumer Advocate RSS feeds

Scam artist hacks Facebook account, offers grant

9/21/2011

A Southeast Ohio consumer reported that while she was chatting with her sister on Facebook, her sister said she had received a government grant. 

The consumer’s sister forwarded a link about the grant, and soon the consumer began chatting with an official who said he was from the Federal Government Humanity & Empowerment Program.  

The official instructed the consumer to send $2,000 via wire transfer so that she could obtain a $150,000 grant. The consumer sent the money, but never received the grant. It was a scam. Her sister’s Facebook account had been hacked. 

In a typical grant scam, a con artist asks a consumer to wire transfer money in advance in exchange for the promise of a government grant. Despite the con artist’s claims, there is no real grant and any money the consumer sends likely will be lost to the scammer.

 

Links

Report a scam - Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Request a free consumer awareness workshop
Sign up to receive the Consumer Advocate e-newsletter