Okanagan musician falls victim to Facebook Marketplace scam
Kinga Heming is well known for her voice in the Okanagan and has been singing jazz tunes at venues throughout the valley for years.
'I received a text message from a girlfriend of mine saying that I think your Facebook has been hacked,' said Heming.
Heming found that her Facebook profile had, in fact, been hacked.
'(My friend) says, 'Well, apparently you have an uncle selling a whole bunch of items because he's moving into a retirement facility.''
As a trusted name in the Okanagan, the singer has gone from famous to infamous.
'People were actually believing that, because with my profile, it was me,' said Heming.
Story continues below advertisement
'So there was messages that were, you know, that were sent to my profile, just requesting these items and people were sending deposits.'
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Then the scammer posted several false ads on Facebook Marketplace, posing as Heming. She says the scammer has taken at least $10,000 from people, including friends.
Lorraine Bromley has known Heming for years, and reached out when she saw who she thought was her friend selling a car.
'I said, 'I'm interested,'' said Bromley.
'Who I thought was her (said), 'Oh, send me a deposit,' and that they won't show it to anybody else.'
Bromley is one of the victims of the false ads. She says she had her suspicions, but because she knows Heming, she decided to trust her and send a deposit for $1,000 for a car.
'You're always suspicious of a stranger, right? But … you never think that someone's going to hack into your friend's account and act like them and ask you for money,' said Bromley.
Heming and several of the victims have reported the incident to the RCMP. The RCMP says it's aware of similar scams circulating online and issued a warning last year. The RCMP recommends always making Marketplace transactions in public places near security cameras.
Story continues below advertisement
Heming has since regained access to her Facebook account, but she questions how long she will retain it for.
'It was honestly a full-time job trying to get this guy off my account. And every time I managed to finally get in, he somehow managed to get around me,' said Heming.
Heming and her partner, Brad Krauza, have tried to get the word out that they have been hacked. However, the scammer shared their home address with many frustrated victims.
'We're thinking even (when we are) going to bed at night to make sure all the doors are locked,' said Krauza.
'She was worried about, you know, somebody coming to the house.'
Heming has locked down her account again but the messages haven't stopped, as more frustrated victims continue to flood her inbox.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
RCMP provide update on alleged abduction of 12-year-old boy in Airdrie, Alta.
RCMP say a 37-year-old Calgary man faces numerous charges after an alleged abduction Monday in Airdrie. Police say a 12-year-old boy escaped his alleged abductor's car during a 'catch a predator scheme.' Nick Brizuela has more on the police update.
National Post
36 minutes ago
- National Post
Calgary man charged with abduction after youth enact 'catch a predator' scheme
A 12-year-old boy involved in a 'catch a predator' plot with a group of other youth was allegedly abducted while meeting a man in Airdrie on Monday. Article content An investigation revealed at least 10 youths were involved in the scheme, where they arranged a meeting with the suspect through Snapchat, according to RCMP. Article content Article content The meeting occurred around 7:50 p.m. in the Coopers Crossing neighbourhood, where one 12-year-old voluntarily entered the suspect's vehicle so other youth could record the interaction. Article content Article content That's when the suspect drove away, said Mounties. It wasn't until the suspect stopped at a red light that the boy was able to escape the vehicle. Article content Article content Zain Merchant, a 37-year-old Calgary man, has been charged with nine offences related to kidnapping a minor and fleeing police. They include abduction of a person under 14, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, flight from peace officer and breach of probation. Article content After a bail hearing, the accused was remanded into custody and is to appear in the Airdrie's Alberta Court of Justice on Thursday. Airdrie RCMP Cpl. Christopher Hrynyk said he's not been involved with an investigation like this in 23 years of service. Article content 'We're more concerned for their safety, their health, and well-being,' Hrynyk said. 'It's a fine balance between getting the information about what happened and discouraging future action on their part in the future.' Article content Multiple pieces of video and digital evidence have been collected, and Hrynyk said that there is nothing online from the incident at this point in time. Article content Article content Conversations between RCMP investigators and the youth involved are continuing. It was not disclosed if the man was known to those involved. Article content Mark Auger, a Staff Sgt. with the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation Unit, said thee 'To Catch a Predator' style videos — named for an American television series that caught child predators on camera — are a growing social media trend. Article content 'It's been a wide-known technique in the (United) States, and it's starting to arrive here,' Auger said. 'We've come across it a fair bit. The biggest thing is the short clips they show on social media may be good of laughs or jokes, or to embarrass somebody. Article content '(…) A lot of these setups and things will end in violence, suicide or sexual assault. It's not a risk, joke, or trend on TikTok to try and enact yourself.' Article content Auger said these situations are difficult to prosecute, while also putting the youth involved into very high-risk situations. Article content 'It's amazingly dangerous,' he said. 'A lot of that will be considered 'tainted evidence' because we don't know how the script went, how the conversation went, was it entrapment that caused the conversation down the road? Those are the things police officers are trained to qualify through the court expectations.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Alberta boy escapes alleged abductor's car after 'catch-a-predator scheme'
A 12-year-old Alberta boy escaped from the car of an alleged abductor that he and a group of other children arranged to meet as part of a 'catch-a-predator scheme' they had devised on the Snapchat app, according to Alberta RCMP, who are strongly discouraging this type of vigilante activity.
