Facebook accounts that are used fraudulently will be terminated or suspended by Facebook, and the illegal activities that the scammers use the accounts for will be traced back to the owners of the accounts, who may end up in jail and may pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to clear their names.
How does the Scam Work?
The scammers will use the Facebook accounts to advertise their scams to millions of Facebook users, using stolen credit cards or hijacked PayPal accounts to make payment. Facebook advertisement is the most effective way for scammers to reach their potential victims. They may also use their victims’ Facebook accounts to send spam and dangerous links to their friends, which go to malicious and phishing websites. And, once the friends see a post or message coming from their friend, they will instantly think the message is legitimate and click on the malicious or phishing links, which will take them to dangerous websites that contain malware.
Once on the dangerous website, the potential victims may be tricked into downloading fake and malicious software that will infect their computers/devices with viruses or Trojan horse. The potential victims may also be taken to phishing websites, where they may be tricked into submitting their personal information, financial information, or sending money to the scammers.
The scammers may also use the Facebook accounts to falsely inflate the "Like" count of a fraudulent website, give the same website positive reviews or promote it.
It is important for Facebook users to remember that they should never lend their Facebook accounts to anyone, whether for a fee or not, or give someone access to it. Also, Facebook users should not give their Facebook username and password to anyone, and Facebook users who have done so already should change their passwords immediately.