Warning of fake social media post targeting Gloucestershire residents
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Police are warning of a fake social media post that is targeting those living in Gloucestershire.
Today (Monday), we were made aware of a link circulating on social media which claimed that a 10-year old girl named Majka was abducted in Cheltenham yesterday (Sunday 8 November).
We can confirm that we have not received any reports of this kind and that the link, which was designed to look like a news story and contained our Constabulary crest, is a phishing attempt which asks Facebook users to log in to see a video of the alleged kidnap.
Once a user inputs their log in credentials, the fraudsters are able to access the user’s account and post the suspicious link on their Facebook page and in any groups they are a part of in an attempt to capture more people’s passwords and take over their accounts.
To protect yourself from scams like this;
• Avoid opening any links or attachments that look suspicious
• If a link you’ve clicked on asks for your password or personal or financial information, close the link and do not hand this information over
• Make sure your passwords are long, strong and unique so if one of your accounts becomes compromised, your others are safe – a password manager can help you create and store your passwords safely
• Turn on two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account; step-by-step guides are available at www.authy.com