Imagine you're leisurely surfing Facebook and suddenly a message pops up. An emotional story, perhaps from a seemingly sick woman from Spain who wants to share her fortune with you. She asks for help, offers you money. Sounds too good to be true? That's it too.

Currently these are the following and similar messages or comments that can catch you on Facebook:

“Hello, I'm sorry to contact you on your channel. I just saw your profile and think you were made for me. By the way, my name is Dolores Heiermeier, I come from Germany and live in Spain. I suffer from a fairly serious illness that can lead to death: liver cancer. My family doctor just told me that time is running out. However, I have 350,000 euros in my account and would like to donate it to an honest and friendly person who knows how to use it wisely. I own a real estate company whose shares are spread all over the world, but after my death all these shares revert to my shareholders.

The loss of my wife four years ago affected me greatly and I was only able to remarry the day after she died, so I would like to give this gift to someone else. We couldn't have children because my husband was infertile and couldn't adopt any. I don't have this disease and my days are coming to an end. Before I die, I want to donate to an honest person. If not, my bank will confiscate all my assets after my death. . Something I wouldn’t allow myself to do.”

The digital call

The stitch is old, the medium is new. Fraudsters have always used emotional stories to lure their victims. Today it's no longer letters or calls - today it's emails and messages on social media, such as Facebook.

Nothing is free, especially not online

“If you don’t pay for the product, you are the product,” a saying that originated in the digital age. But if someone offers you money without you having to do anything in return? Then you may find yourself in the sights of fraudsters.

Learn to read the signs of Facebook scammers

There are warning signs. Unexpected messages from strangers telling incredible stories. Grammatical errors, inconsistencies in the story, strange email addresses or links to dubious websites. These are all indicators that something is wrong here.

Armored against fraud: How to protect yourself

Better safe than sorry. Don't click on unknown links. Don't give up your mind at the digital door. Check out stories that sound too good to be true and trust your gut. If you are unsure, seek out fact checks or consult experts.

Conclusion: A healthy distrust protects

In the digital age, we are constantly bombarded with information. The trick is to distinguish the real news from the fake news. A healthy level of suspicion and knowledge of common scams can protect you from the next Facebook scammer. Stay alert!

Stay tuned, stay critical. Subscribe to the Mimikama newsletter and use Mimikama's educational offerings to navigate the world of digital news safely and informed.

Already read?

The Facebook scraping verdict: What you need to know about data protection and compensation
The fateful click: When phishing hijacks everyday digital life


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )