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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It haunts you': Hackers, hijackers lock up Facebook pages
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — If scammers take over your social media account, you're encouraged to with the Michigan attorney general's office. The A.G.'s Office of Corporate Oversight has had some success helping victims of the increasingly pervasive scam regain control of their pages. 'Happy news!' texted one victim who'd contacted Target 8 investigators for help. 'I got my accounts back today. Attorney General's office made it happen.' Account takeovers are hardly a new phenomenon, but the problem has grown significantly. Attorney General Dana Nessel's office told Target 8 it received 50 such complaints in 2022, 185 in 2023, 485 in 2024, and 127 in the first few months of 2025. In March 2024, attorneys general nationwide penned a letter to Meta requesting the company take 'immediate action to address the… dramatic and persistent spike in complaints … concerning account takeovers…. We refuse to operate as the customer service representatives of your company,' the AGs declared. Kelly Roper, a Grand Rapids business owner whose Facebook page was hijacked, is hoping Dana Nessel's office will come through for her. She filed a complaint with the attorney general's office at Target 8's suggestion. 'I didn't know that I could do that,' said Roper in a recent interview with Target 8. 'I reported the fraud to Facebook. Every time you do something, it's a dead-end. You cannot get to anybody. You cannot talk to anybody. It is so frustrating.' It's been ten months since a criminal took over Roper's personal Facebook page, and she's still unable to access it. Her personal FB account is tied to her business page, which makes it difficult to market her business. Roper owns Show Salon in downtown Grand Rapids. Fake posts selling cars and crypto 'Around August of 2024, I had a friend reach out to me and say, 'I didn't know that you were selling a car on Facebook,' recalled Roper. 'I said, 'I'm not selling a car. I don't know what this is.'' It was the scam that's targeting individuals, businesses, and celebrities everywhere. In Roper's case, it started with the fake car-selling post. 'I actually reached out to Facebook and told them, 'I've been hacked. This is not me,'' explained Roper, noting that friends and family reported it too. No response from Meta, the company that owns Facebook, said Roper. Then, her Facebook page was disabled, so she started up a new one. That was in January of 2025. 'Around February or March, I get this call from a friend that said, 'I don't know if you know this, but somebody's posting that you are selling crypto,'' Roper told Target 8 in an interview at her salon on Monroe Center NW. The new post included a picture of a certificate with CyrptoCurrency Certification Consortium across the top. Roper's name was on it. 'Congratulations to me,' read the fraudulent post. 'So, this just came in today after months and months of endless study and training. I'm happy to announce that I've been certified as an Expert Crypto Trader after undergoing the rigorous training which lasted for over 24 months.' Fortunately, Roper's Facebook friends were not fooled. 'Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not going to sell crypto,' said Roper. 'I would never get involved in something like that. But it started posting all over Facebook, and, I mean, everywhere. It looked so official with my name on it. So, I was pretty obviously upset. I own a business. I didn't want people thinking that I did this, because I didn't. It was not me.' Another post featured a picture of a smiling middle-aged couple holding Roper's fake crypto certificate and praising her services. 'Kelly (Roper) is God sent (sic). Our debit are (sic) paid fully. $180k,' read the fraudulent post. Roper said she followed the steps in the 'Recover your hacked account' section of Facebook's online help center to no avail. When she tried to set up another Facebook page, she said Meta rejected it. 'It said, 'We reviewed your account and found it still does not follow our community standards on account integrity,'' recalled Roper. 'Not sure what that means because this is a brand-new account. I have not posted anything on it other than a picture of me.' At one point, Roper scanned her face. No luck there either. '(The) Facebook page said, 'scan your picture.' explained Roper. 'So, I scan it, and I still get rejected. (They say) that I'm not me.' The salon has found a work-around though; employees post on Instagram, and it shows up on the salon's Facebook page. 'It haunts you' Still, Roper feels personally violated. 'It haunts you,' said the salon owner. 'There are pictures of my kids, my dogs, my family. You know, this is a big deal.' BlackCloak Digital Executive Protection, a Florida-based cybersecurity firm, told Target 8 that Roper's experience is far from unique. 'It is very difficult,' said Ingrid Gliottone, Chief Experience Officer at BlackCloak, in a Zoom with Target 8. 'We're seeing it across the board trying to get a hold of an individual at any of these platforms to be able to retain access. I would say it's probably about a 50/50 shot that if you have your account compromised… you will be able to regain the account, unfortunately. It's just a flip of the coin what the system will accept or not.' Gliottone blamed Meta's lack of responsiveness on workforce reductions. 'Prior to COVID, these larger platforms like Meta, for example, had a lot more individual staff to be able to review those requests for when you thought your account was being impersonated, or your account was compromised and locked out,' explained Gliottone. 'What ultimately ended up happening, we saw a lot of those individuals be removed from those positions due to economic conditions.' Fewer humans, more automation In 2022, Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Meta, announced the company was cutting 11,000 jobs. 'That's why individuals… are having more difficulty trying to retain access to accounts,' explained Gliottone, 'because they're going up against automated systems and workflows, right? They'll go in and they'll submit, and they don't have… the documentation needed, so the system will automatically spit it back out and deny it.' Gliottone said some BlackCloak clients never regained access to their accounts. But she urges you to keep trying; report the fraud to Meta repeatedly and have friends and family do the same. '(It took one client) almost nine months before they were able to regain (control). They just kept trying.' Gliottone said weak passwords are most often to blame when bad actors gain access to accounts. Passwords and dual-factor authentication She urges you to create complex, unique, passwords, get comfortable using password managers, don't use variations of the same password and always enable dual-factor authentication. Prevention is the best protection. 'Some of the ways we have our clients achieve this in a relatively easy fashion is to think of short phrases or sentences because those are easier to remember,' explained Gliottone, referring to password generation. 'For instance, 'I love to fly.' You start off with capital 'I' and then, 'love' and then instead of 'to', you can use the number '2', and then 'fly' and you end with a period or an exclamation point. Strong passwords, that's the number one most important thing. Then dual-factor authentication is the next piece.' Facebook's online help center has pages on how to or someone pretending to be you or someone else on messenger. Target 8 sent emails to Meta and Facebook requesting comment. We received no response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Fake Mexico video being spread as Shamsherganj incident, say cops, warn of action
1 2 Kolkata: Bengal Police on Thursday warned about a fake video doing the rounds that used visuals from an old clash in Mexico to pass them off as in incident in Murshidabad's Shamsherganj. The cops also cautioned that specific social media accounts were being used with an ulterior motive, with a direct plan to incite violence. In a post, Jangipur Police said: "Recently, it was observed that certain individuals with ulterior motives were posting on social media, referring to an incident from Mexico in 2023 as an event in Shamsherganj, Murshidabad, using fake and anonymous profiles. We urge you to verify the authenticity of such misleading posts before sharing them. Otherwise, legal action will be taken against the perpetrators. All relevant information regarding the fact of the incident has been shared. " Cops said that according to fact-checkers, "a disturbing video is making rounds on social media, alleging that in the Shamsherganj area of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, a Muslim youth brutally set a Hindu girl on fire after she rejected his proposal. This has turned out to be fake". Bengal Police said "the claim being made on social media by showing this horrific video is completely false and misleading". "The actual incident took place long ago, in May 2023, during a clash between two drug trafficking groups in Mexico. During the conflict, members of one group burned a person from the rival group in this brutal manner. This incident has no connection whatsoever with any religious sentiment or event in Murshidabad, Bengal. This misleading video is being circulated on social media solely with the intention of spreading propaganda against Bengal," the FB post by police added. Police said they have started an investigation to trace the source of these "misleading posts". An official said several social media accounts involved in spreading the false narrative have been identified and appropriate legal action would be taken. Senior police officials urged citizens to report any such misleading content on social media platforms. "We have a dedicated team monitoring social media round the clock to prevent the spread of fake news that could potentially disturb communal harmony," said a senior officer. Police have also announced plans to conduct awareness programmes about fact-checking and responsible social media usage across Murshidabad.
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
PKR veep Chang says not quitting, rubbishes allegations 11 PKR MPs withdraw support for PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Two Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MPs have denied allegations that they, along with nine others, have withdrawn their support for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also serving as Prime Minister. PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, described the allegations as ridiculous. "Rafizi (Ramli) and Nik Nazmi's (Nik Ahmad) resignations from Cabinet are out of decorum and in the spirit of democracy. Others need not sully the waters. That's all," the Tanjung Malim MP said in a Facebook late Wednesday (May 28) night. Rumours have swirled as a result of a viral screenshot on WhatsApp and on the Facebook account of blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, popularly known as Papagomo, claiming that 11 PKR MPs - Rafizi (Pandan), Nik Nazmi (Setiawangsa), Chang (Tanjung Malim), Tan Kar Hing (Gopeng), Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (Johor Baru), Wong Chen (Subang), Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang), Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), Onn Abu Bakar (Batu Pahat) and Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (Port Dickson) - have withdrawn their support for Anwar and will hold a media conference on May 30 about the matter. Meanwhile, Tan condemned the allegations on Facebook, describing it as a malicious political slander. "I strongly deny the allegations made by Muhammad Azri in an FB post. My stand and idealism in the struggle have not changed even with the recent party election results," he said, adding that he had obtained advice from his lawyer and did not deny the possibility of taking legal action. Rafizi and Nik Nazmi announced their resignation as ministers effective June 17 and July 4, respectively, following their losses in the recent PKR party election, where Rafizi lost his deputy president's post to Nurul Izzah Anwar and Nik Nazmi failed in securing a vice-president's post. - Bernama
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Chang, Tan deny withdrawing support for Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: Two Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) MPs have denied allegations that they, along with nine others, have withdrew their support for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also serving as Prime Minister. PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, described the allegations as ridiculous. 'Rafizi and Nik Nazmi's resignation from the Cabinet is out of decorum and in the spirit of democracy. Others need not sully the waters. That's all,' the Tanjung Malim MP posted on Facebook tonight. Rumours have swirled as a result of a viral screenshot on Whatsapp and on the Facebook of blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, popularly known as Papagomo, claiming that 11 PKR MPs - Rafizi (Pandan), Nik Nazmi (Setiawangsa), Chang (Tanjung Malim), Tan Kar Hing (Gopeng), Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (Johor Bahru), Wong Chen (Subang), Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang), Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), Onn Abu Bakar (Batu Pahat) and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun (Port Dickson) - have withdrew their support for Anwar and will hold a media conference on May 30 about the matter. Meanwhile, Tan condemned the allegations on Facebook, describing it as a malicious political slander. 'I strongly deny the allegations made by Muhammad Azri in an FB post. My stand and idealism in the struggle have not changed even with the recent party election results,' he said, adding that he had obtained advice from his lawyer and did not deny the possibility of taking legal action. Rafizi and Nik Nazmi announced their resignation as ministers effective June 17 and July 4, following their losses in the recent PKR party election, where Rafizi lost his deputy president's post to Nurul Izzah Anwar and Nik Nazmi failed in securing a vice-president's post.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Cambodian police, defence officials charged with attempted bribery
Vorn Veasna, who served as deputy police chief of Battambang province's Bavel district, is in Prey Sar prison awaiting trial on serious bribery charges. - FB via PPP/ANN PHNOM PENH: A deputy police chief from Battambang province and an official from the Ministry of National Defence have been sent to Prey Sar Prison in connection with an attempted bribery scheme involving over US$770,000 from Thai nationals. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) detained Vorn Veasna, who served as deputy police chief of Bavel district, Battambang province, and Tang Samnang, also known as Sok Chansamnang, an assistant to the deputy director-general of the defence ministry's General Department of Technical Materials, on May 23. The two were found to have colluded in an attempt to extort US$774,000 in bribes to secure the release of 43 Thai nationals who were detained by authorities for illegally working in Cambodia. ACU spokesperson Soy Chanvichet told The Post that the arrests stemmed from a joint operation by a task force from the National Police General Commissariat on May 2, which investigated the 43 Thai nationals in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey province. From May 4-6, Veasna and Samnang are alleged to have conspired to collect US$774,000 in bribes to facilitate the release of the 43 detained individuals. However, their plan failed, and the 43 Thai nationals were deported from Cambodia on May 8. Chanvichet stated that the actions of the suspects constituted elements of the crime of attempted bribery, as stipulated in the Anti-Corruption Law and the Criminal Code. Additionally, Veasna, who deposited money received from the bribery scheme into a bank and used it, is also implicated in the offense of money laundering, according to Chanvichet. Four of their accomplices, who are currently at large, have also been charged with attempted bribery. The two suspects were detained by the ACU on May 23 and were sent to Prey Sar Prison for temporary detention by the court on May 26 after the Phnom Penh municipal court charged them with attempted bribery. Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodian, believed that law enforcement officers who violate the law pose a serious threat to the nation. 'Committing corrupt acts with foreigners who violate the law in Cambodia is like destroying Cambodia's reputation and dignity on the international stage. Corrupt officials harm the Kingdom's foreign policy. Secondly, it undermines the national economic system and fosters other negative activities in Cambodia,' he said. He compared such bribery to the actions of the mafia and reiterated the importance of rooting out wrongdoing by those who are responsible for enforcing the law. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
