As usual, the scammers are lurking waiting for the right opportunity to initiate a fraud. This time, the scammers focused on the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 (AKA, the missing airplane), trying to take advantage of this tragedy.
This scam is usually spread via Facebook or Twitter. The posts contain a video screenshot and claim that the missing airplane was found (the place depends on the story but it can be everywhere, from Andorra to Bermuda triangle). Some of them go to the extent claiming that several of the passengers are still alive. In order to catch people’s attention, the posts pretend to belong to well known and respected news organizations such as BBC or CNN.
If someone tries to see the post, he will be asked either to share it or fill a survey. Some of them are even better disguised, leading to a fake YouTube page with an age verification dialogue. Of course, in the end, the user is asked to provide his personal data. In the best case scenario the user’s data might end up in a marketing list or he might lose few cents because of the surveys.
Beware of these kinds of posts. Facebook tries to eliminate them but they keep reappearing. Remember to check the reputation of the site you are visiting and keep in mind that if a post asks for sharing or filling a survey in order to see its content, it is probably a scam. As of today, 19/3 the research for the missing airplane still continues.