Yesterday, I saw my Instagram account had notification from an Ad I didn’t create.
Later, I see my bank account and someone used $75 in Facebook Ads from my own account.
This is what it appeared in my bank account:
PURCHASE FACEBK DZ79T 650-5434800 CA 94025 CARD…
MERCHANT NAME: FACEBK DZ79TMEQG2
MERACHANT ADRESS: 650-5434800 CA 94025
TRANSACTION TYPE: CARD INFO STORED BY MERCHANT
CATEGORY: ADVERTISING SERVICES
2 transactions were accepted and the 3rd one was denied because the bank realized some suspicious activity.
I have no freaking idea how they did that! I am very careful with my information but I think I wasn’t enough careful to be scammed like this. I literally had to delete all my accounts as I have no idea what was happening.
I googled the information that appeared on my bank account and I read many people and forums with the same situation. Some people lost thousands because of this.
After doing my research and connecting dots, this is pretty much what they do:
They collect information from your FB or social media accounts or use websites with “malware”? Idk what’s called (I’m not very knowledgeable) but basically, any page where I paid with my credit card info had someone or something watching or collecting my info.
They go to your account and create a Facebook page, then they create and Ad.
As my FB account was linked with my Instagram account, the Ad appeared in my Instagram account too.
The Ad leds to a website that looks similar (copycat) of a real brand website. In my situation it was “Kipling bag store”.
So, they just expect people to believe the ad as my account is not fake and purchase bags from the website.
I already called my bank and damage the card. What it really sucks is that I don’t even know if my laptop has something or that once they know my main information they can still doing the same… and Facebook and Instagram “support” SUCKS! there is no phone number, just guides to make you loose more time.
Other thing, I don’t know it’s… I couldn’t unlink my Facebook from my Instagram and viceversa bc they are connected to the same phone number (but I added more security systems) however, once I delete my phone number from both… I’m afraid to lose the way to get back to my accounts if they hack again.
And I don’t want to delete completely my IG and FB because in one I have a business and in the other one I have way too many memories with meaning like pictures with my family and stuff…
If someone can give me an advice or something, I would def apreaciate it.
Scammers sucks.
Btw: I took screenshots of everything…
(I’m too new to this forum but you guys are life savers, I was about to burst into tears of desesperation but the youtube videos made me laugh and made me feel better)