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HALIFAX, N.S. — The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning Facebook users about a new scam that is spreading through sharing posts.
The scam is a bait-and-switch scheme where users are tricked into sharing a post that appears to be about an injured or lost pet.
However, the post is a rental ad or a link to a survey.
The scam has many variations, but the message encourages concerned people to share the news with their friends.
The scammer will then change the original post to a deceptive rental ad or sometimes a link pointing to a survey that guarantees a cash prize.
BBB is offering tips to avoid being scammed by the ads, like doing a bit of digging before resharing a post, reading the information carefully and looking at the profile of the person who created and shared the original post.
The bureau also noted that if a child goes missing or a tragedy occurs, residents will see it on different news outlets or shared by law enforcement, not on a random post.
A reverse Google image search can also allow users to find out if the pictures they saw were used on other ads or websites in different cities.
Finally, if a resident suspects a post is a scam, they can report it to Facebook.
Those who have been targeted by the scam can file a scam report online.
