A Sackville resident\u2019s Facebook profile was recently duplicated, or spoofed, in an apparent failed attempt at a confidence scam.<\/p>\r\n
The social media platform soon removed the fake account, after users reported the case of identity theft to Facebook.<\/p>\r\n
But it\u2019s just one of the online scams that proliferate during troubled times, according to an expert in identity theft and fraud.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cSo often they're playing on people's emotions in their darkest hours,\u201d said William Kresse, a professor at the Governors State University near Chicago, Ill.<\/p>\r\n
CHMA News has agreed not to disclose the identity of the man whose identity was fraudulently duplicated in the attempted scam.<\/p>\r\n
The fake account appeared to be an exact double of the original, using his name, profile picture and banner photo: a picture of his grandchildren.<\/p>\r\n
The spoofed account attempted to add at least some of the man's contacts as friends. This reporter was among those who received a friend request. The spoofed account then initiated a chat using Facebook Messenger.<\/p>\r\n
\u2018Gradient community outreach\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\r\n It started out with small talk, but the conversation quickly took a strange turn when the scamster asked about something called the \"gradient community outreach support program.\"<\/p>\r\n This kind of scam is well-documented online.<\/p>\r\n Typically the fake account claims that the intended victim is eligible for a large financial assistance grant worth tens of thousands of dollars, but they have to pay a fee.<\/p>\r\n In fact, there is a Minnesota-based financial services company called Gradient with a program called the Gradient Gives Back Foundation<\/a> that helps Americans in need.<\/p>\r\n The website of the real Gradient Foundation states: \u201cApplications are only accepted through our website and we do not contact individuals through any private messaging services.\u201d<\/p>\r\n It also includes a link to the website of the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center<\/a> for people who believe they\u2019ve fallen victim to a scam.<\/p>\r\n Scamsters thrive on disaster<\/strong><\/p>\r\n These kinds of scams tend to multiply during times of economic hardship, according to Kresse.<\/p>\r\n \u201cVery often, these scamsters are very good at reading and playing with human emotions,\u201d he said in an interview with CHMA.<\/p>\r\n \u201cDuring economic hardship, we see it, especially during disasters, whenever there is an earthquake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n There are multiple user-reported examples of the \u2018gradient community outreach\u2019 scam on websites such as ScamPulse<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has also warned<\/a> of a similar scam targetting African-American church communities.<\/p>\r\n Sexual exploitation\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n In other online scams in New Brunswick, there have been multiple reports of sexual exploitation<\/a> targetting youth, according to the RCMP.<\/p>\r\n Fake accounts on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram befriend teenage boys, convincing them to share \u201cintimate images and videos.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Then they are blackmailed for money, gift cards and e-currency, with the threat that the photos and videos will be released if the victims don\u2019t pay up.<\/p>\r\n The RCMP have said they believe \u201corganized crime groups overseas\u201d are creating the profiles. In March, three people were arrested in Moncton in connection with the investigation.<\/p>\r\n Kresse said law enforcement agencies from different countries are \"banding together\" in an attempt to address the elusive online scamsters.<\/p>\r\n But he said the police in some places actually protect the perpetrators because of the money they bring into the community.<\/p>\r\n Scams \u2018prevalent, in all forms,\u2019 police say\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Other scams reported by the RCMP in New Brunswick this month alone include a fake cryptocurrency deal<\/a> and a fraudulent buy-and-sell furniture scam<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n A spokesperson for the RCMP said in an email that \u201cfraud has been prevalent of late, in all forms.\u201d<\/p>\r\n The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the federal agency which collects information on fraud and identity theft, states that $133-million had been lost by the end of March this year, with about 12,000 victims and more than 18,600 reports of fraud.<\/p>\r\n