Australians are being forced to film hostage-style videos endorsing fraudulent cryptocurrency as global hackers hold their social media accounts for ransom.
Everyday Australians are falling victim to the cyber crooks who used get-rich-quick schemes to scam more than $105m last year.
xjmtzywQueensland singer-songwriter Emma Tomlinson told A Current Affair on Tuesday that she had lost more than $3000 after a scammer posed as a friend online, asking her to sign up to a giveaway.
“All of a sudden she asked for my Instagram details and I innocently gave my email and then all of a sudden my Instagram got hacked and I was completely locked out and couldn‘t get back in,” she said.
In a bid to get her account back, the 22-year-old was forced to film herself promoting bitcoin and reassuring followers that the scam was legit.
“Hi everyone, I’ve just invested in bitcoin mining and received a profit in three hours … the business is legit and definitely worthwhile and the person I am working with is real,” Ms Tomlinson said in the video.
The video was then circulated online to attract future victims.
Ms Tomlinson’s nightmare continued, as the hacker used fake images of the Sunshine Coast singer to extort her of $3000.
IDCARE analyst Kathy Sundstrom said there had been a 40 per cent increase in the “very professional” social media takeovers.
“It is because it is so effective. If you think a friend is telling you about a good deal, you are more likely to look into it yourself,” she said.
Ms Tomlinson said social media was a big part of her life and how she booked gigs.
“I had a very big breakdown. Yes, it may be a social media account, but when it is a part of your business and you’ve worked eight hard years on it, building your audience, It was everything to me,” she said.
Online users are urged to use two-factor authentication on both their social media and email.
