Saskatoon (November 6, 2019) – Saskatoon police issued a warning to make the public aware of a circulating government grant scam involving fake Facebook doppelgängers. People reported having received messages from apparent Facebook friends. However, scammers had copied people’s Facebook profiles to send phishing messages. The messages contained a link to a fake website where people can apply for the bogus government grant scamming people out of money and personal information.
The Saskatoon Police received complaints about an online scam involving copied Facebook profiles using Facebook Messenger. Due to the reports, the police issued a warning against the government grant scam on Facebook.
The targeted people received messages from apparent Facebook friends. As it turned out, scammers are copying people’s Facebook profiles, creating Facebook doppelgänger accounts. Using the copied profile, the scammers sent their contacts private messages. In the message, the scammer claimed to have received a government grant. In order to get the grant as well, the victim was invited to click on a provided link.
The link leads to a fake website where people are scammed out of money and personal information. The website suggested victims apply for a government grant asking for personal information and an upfront fee.
The Saskatoon police advise the public not to click on the link or follow any of the fraudster’s directions. If anyone has received similar communication and has become a victim, they are encouraged to file an online report with both the Saskatoon Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Agency.
