Hacked accounts getting little help from Facebook, experts warn | #datingscams | #lovescams | #facebookscams

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Hackers are getting increasingly creative with their scams, making it harder for many of us to spot suspicious activity.

For one family in New Kent, a Facebook puppy scam is taking up their time and peace of mind.

NBC12 first reported about the scam that wiped people out of hundreds of dollars back in November. Since then, Amy Jackson said nothing has changed.

“I’m sending out messages to these people like ‘Hey, please don’t share this. Please don’t send them money. This is a scam,” Jackson said.

Jackson, who works full-time as a bank teller, spends up to 4 hours a day warning of the hacker who took over her mom’s account.

“My efforts, I feel like, keeps things like – from people showing up at our house from happening. But what happens if I stop making those efforts?” Jackson said.

Jackson wants the account permanently taken down.

For months, Jackson has tried to get in touch with Facebook support via email and has followed all of the proper steps to no avail.

“So many of our customers, they are getting hacked, and the hackers will post something terrible on their profile and get their account shut down, and there’s no real option to get it reactivated,” Aaron Weaver, with Hacked.com, said.

The company helps social media users navigate through recovering or shutting down hacked accounts for a fee.

Weaver said 75 percent of his customer complaints come from Facebook.

However, some red flags, such as suspicious emails, could help you spot a hacker.

“They’ll send you an email that looks like an email from Facebook, and it’ll say you just been hacked, and it’ll get you in your emotions,” Weaver said.

He says always to confirm it’s the official Facebook general support email which is support@fb.com.

Another thing to look out for is friend requests from an account you are already friends with. Also, keep an eye out for how friends are sending messages.

“A lot of times, the hackers will hack someone, and then they’ll message that person’s friend. If your friend starts asking you weird questions through Facebook, just ask them a question that only a friend would know,” Weaver said.

The nightmare is now keeping Amy and her mother on guard for good.

There are a few ways to protect your account, such as setting up a 2-step authentication, recovery codes, creating a long, complicated password, and making your page and post private.

Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.