Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.
Facebook Posts Asking Users to Share for Prayers

Beware of deceptive and heartless Facebook users who are posting pictures of sick, starving, dead and injured children, adults or animals on Facebook, to trick other Facebook users into sharing them in order to make them popular. This type of activity is a scam, and the photos or videos in the same posts are being used without the owners' consent. The heartless and deceitful people who are tricking Facebook users into sharing are only taking advantage of caring Facebook users, who think they are helping out, by playing with their consciences. The scam may also ask Facebook users to compliment a child, an adult or an animal, or type "Amen" to be grateful for something.

Scammers use the posts to gather up potential victims. Once they have enough Facebook users, they will start sending them spam (unsolicited messages) with links that will take potential victims to phishing websites that will steal their information, or malicious links that will take them to dangerous websites that will infect their computers with Spyware or Trojan horse. The scammers may also send fraudulent messages claiming that their potential victims are so-called lottery winners and they need to send money in order to claim their prizes.

A Sample of a Facebook Post Attempting to Trick Users into Sharing

A sick child with deformed legs, feet and toes.

Only a wicked person will see this child in this condition and ignore without sharing to any group you know for prayers.

PLEASE help us pray for this boy and share to any group you know for others to see him and put him in prayer too

Also, if you have received a message stating Facebook will donate money to a child if you like, share or comment on some content, please do not follow the instructions in the message, instead, report it to Facebook. And, if you have already commented on Facebook posts with sick, starving and injured children, adults or animals that you are not able to determine the legitimacy of, please click here for instructions on how to remove those posts from your Facebook Wall and Timeline.

Remember, you do not need to share a post in order to pray for someone. A simple prayer from the heart is enough.

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