PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) — A Palm Beach Gardens woman has become the latest victim of an online scam after her social media account was hijacked.
For Michele Eassa, it all started like a normal day.
“I was walking my dog when suddenly my phone rang,” Eassa said.
The longtime Palm Beach Gardens resident was bombarded with text messages from friends asking about several homes in Louisville, Kentucky, that she had allegedly listed for rent on Facebook Marketplace.
“You know, it’s a house with one bed and one bath. All in Spanish,” Eassa told CBS12 News reporter Katie Bente.
“Do you speak Spanish?” asked Bente.
“No, I don’t. I wish I did. But I have no idea what it says,” Eassa replied.
The real nightmare began when she tried to log into her account to delete the posts and found that she was locked out.
“I never thought this would be me. I don’t use Facebook that much,” Eassa said.
Facebook’s recovery options didn’t work and her account ended up in the hands of the hacker.
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She initially contacted the Louisville Police Department, but was referred to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department.
“They were interested and looked at everything, but basically said there was nothing they could do,” Eassa said. “They told me this happens all the time.”
But Eassa is more afraid that someone might fall for the scam.
“Putting someone in a position where they sign a lease or a contract and then walk into the house where it’s not really theirs,” she said.
Technology expert Craig Agranoff advises consumers to remain vigilant: never pay directly by bank or wire transfer, ask the seller for photo ID and insist on meeting in a public place.
“If they don’t want to send it, I’m skeptical. And they say, ‘You know what? Forget it. This isn’t for you.’ But I also always try to meet people in the lobby of the local police station,” Agranoff said.
Eassa urges others to take social media security seriously and set up two-factor authentication. As for her situation, she is still working on regaining access to her account.
