Why older people fall for Facebook scams and what to do about it

Facebook has a reputation as the social media platform for older people.

Whether that reputation is justified or not, certainly older Australians are increasingly falling victim to Facebook scams. 

Over all online scamming, Scamwatch data shows people aged over 65 make up 25 per cent of all losses reported.

There are a few reasons for this. As well as spending more time on Facebook than other social media platforms, older people often aren’t as tech savvy as younger generations and don’t see the warning signs of a scam. Many are lonely, and in looking for the social connections Facebook can provide may not be as discerning when spotting a dodgy friend request. 

A disconnect

Also, there is a disconnect between how we were brought up and how the world works now. Older people are more likely to take people at their word, but that trust system has well and truly broken down online. 

While we can keep an eye out for scams, increasingly the scammers are simply just taking over other people’s Facebook profiles and using their details to commit identity theft.

A friend had her identity stolen from Facebook and had to hire a consultant to ‘detox’ her online life. She had to completely remove her online presence and then the only internet connection she was allowed was an email with a new address on a different browser. 

She then had to secure and change all her banking and personal details, and stay offline for six months to completely ‘cleanse’ her profile. It’s been four years since this all happened and she still refuses to join Facebook again, and I can’t blame her.

These days, it’s not just about posting your pet’s picture on your timeline. So many aspects of our life are online, from booking flights to selling a spare bookcase, it would be a rare individual who didn’t use the internet at least once a day. 

Profile in crime

Identity and cyber-support service IDCare says scammers taking over people’s Facebook profiles is more common than you think. 

“It is easier for a cybercriminal to take over someone else’s Facebook account than to create a fake one,” IDCARE spokeswoman Kathy Sundstrom told SBS News.

People know enough to check out a stranger’s profile before agreeing to any sort of connection, but if it’s a friend or family member contacting you, there is more trust. 

Online criminals are cloning Facebook profiles and then trying to scam their contacts.  

“People are far more likely to trust a Facebook account that has history — as a legitimate person would have — than one that was created a few weeks ago,” Ms Sundstrom said.

Once they have taken over your profile, the scammers will often try to:

• sell goods at attractively cheap prices and then flake out once the money has been transferred 
• or use your details to pretend to buy an item, then walk off once they have it in their hands
• ask for money due to some sort of distressing situation. 

If you are concerned about your Facebook profile’s security, the first step is to set up multi-factor authentication. Also, never accept friend requests from existing Facebook friends without confirming they are real requests.

What can you do?

So if you think your Facebook profile has been cloned or compromised, what can you do? 

The first step is to report it to Facebook. Here’s how: 

• go to the profile of the impersonating account
• if you can’t find it, try searching for the name used on the profile or asking your friends if they can send you a link to it
• click on the cover photo and select Report
• follow the on-screen instructions for impersonation to file a report.

However, don’t expect too much joy. Facebook is notoriously frustrating at any sort of speedy resolution.

You should also warn your Facebook friends and contacts that your page has been compromised and, if you haven’t already, set your privacy settings to the highest level. 

If you think the fake page has been used for financial scams, contact ScamWatch and let them know. There’s not a lot they can do legally, but they do compile data to use to analyse how scammers are working and how to combat them. 

You can also contact IDCare. It is a trans-Tasman charity that helps people and organisations with identity theft and cyber-related crimes. As well as helping after the event, they also provide plenty of advice on how to protect yourself online.  

Are you worried about identity theft? Why not share your concerns in the comments section below?

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