Facebook scam about horrific fatal crash could spread virus, sheriff says
The “breaking news” post plays on your emotions.
On Facebook, you might read about a horrific crash that kills “2 moms, 5 kids” and the “fathers had to be held back from the flames.”
Most recently, the post states the collision happened near Jackson, but the Butts County Sheriff’s Office reports on its Facebook page that “This is FALSE information.”
Although the sheriff’s office stated they are not “sure of the origin of this post or the false information,” they are not alone in the apparent virus-spreading scam.
An internet search shows the same headline and share text for fatal accidents in Ware, Toombs and Pickens counties.
All of them have “NEWSROOMS.INFO” at the bottom of the share text.
The Butts County Sheriff’s Office has received multiple calls about the accident and publicly apologized for the inconvenience the phantom post has caused.
“We are being told that the link on Facebook may be some type of virus. PLEASE DO NOT click on or ‘share’ the link as it apparently hacks your Facebook account after doing so,” the Butts County Sheriff’s Office warns on Facebook.
Liz Fabian: 478-744-4303, @liz_lines
This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 5:59 AM with the headline "Facebook scam about horrific fatal crash could spread virus, sheriff says."