Post by t-bob on May 7, 2020 21:56:03 GMT -5
Facebook Phishing Scams Hit Livestreamed Concerts
Andrew Gilbert
May 6
Musicians are adapting to the pandemic by collecting donations from livestreamed concerts. But some scammers are taking advantage—as in the case of Carmen Getit and Steve Lucky, whose Facebook page was bombarded with fraudulent links. (Courtesy of the artists)
Nearly two months into California’s shelter-in-place orders, livestreamed concerts via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook have turned into a lifeline for musicians whose gigs have evaporated. Some Bay Area artists are earning more than $1,000 per show with weekly performances.
But that silver lining is attracting online predators.
Last month, a Facebook-streamed concert by two well-known Oakland musicians was besieged by phishing scammers. Bombarding the Facebook event page with their own links, the scammers steered fans to another site posing as a livestreaming link where they sought to pocket fans’ donations. With Facebook’s April 28 announcement that musicians will soon be able to charge admission to their pages for events streamed on the platform, some musicians fear that security concerns will only grow in the coming months.
Andrew Gilbert
May 6
Musicians are adapting to the pandemic by collecting donations from livestreamed concerts. But some scammers are taking advantage—as in the case of Carmen Getit and Steve Lucky, whose Facebook page was bombarded with fraudulent links. (Courtesy of the artists)
Nearly two months into California’s shelter-in-place orders, livestreamed concerts via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook have turned into a lifeline for musicians whose gigs have evaporated. Some Bay Area artists are earning more than $1,000 per show with weekly performances.
But that silver lining is attracting online predators.
Last month, a Facebook-streamed concert by two well-known Oakland musicians was besieged by phishing scammers. Bombarding the Facebook event page with their own links, the scammers steered fans to another site posing as a livestreaming link where they sought to pocket fans’ donations. With Facebook’s April 28 announcement that musicians will soon be able to charge admission to their pages for events streamed on the platform, some musicians fear that security concerns will only grow in the coming months.