Have you received a shocking message on Facebook Messenger about a friend passing away? Beware – it could be the “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” Facebook scam.
This scam aims to steal Facebook accounts by tricking users into clicking malicious links. Once clicked, these links can compromise your account and allow scammers to access your personal information.
In this article, we’ll break down exactly how the “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” scam works, what to watch out for, and most importantly, how to protect yourself.
Overview of the Scam
The “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” scam is a dangerous Facebook phishing scam aimed at stealing users’ login credentials and taking over their accounts. This sinister scam has exploded in popularity recently, and thousands of unaware victims have had their personal information compromised, accounts hacked, and identities stolen.
How the Scam Spreads
The scam starts when hackers take over accounts of real Facebook users through phishing or malware. They then use the hacked accounts to send fake messages to that person’s friends containing shocking headlines and links about deaths or tragic accidents.
These concerning messages seem to come from a real friend or family member. The scammers exploit this trust factor to manipulate victims into urgently clicking links without thinking them through. They use emotional manipulation tactics to override critical thinking in the victims.
For example, you may receive a message seemingly from your Aunt Jenny saying “I can’t believe he died, I’m so devastated.” This compels you to instantly click the link to find out what happened to Jimmy, playing into the scammer’s trap.
Malicious Links That Steal Login Info
The links in these messages don’t lead to real news articles. Instead, they route to sophisticated phishing sites mimicking Facebook’s login page. When users enter their usernames and passwords, these credentials go straight to the scammers instead of Facebook.
Armed with thousands of Facebook login details, the hackers perpetuate the scam by impersonating users and sending more fake messages. They also access personal information, photos, messages, and friend lists in the accounts. This supports further criminal activity like identity theft, online extortion, and recruitment for scams or cults.
Scammers are constantly evolving the scam with new headlines and links to avoid detection. Recent examples include:
“Our dear old friend Dave died in a horrible skydiving accident. I can’t believe it”
“Breaking news: Jennifer’s tour bus crashed leaving 38 dead and 12 critically injured”
“I’m devastated. Little Timmy collapsed and died during the school marathon.”
These shocking fake headlines compel users to click without thinking, especially when the message seems to come from a close friend or relative. But those clicks deliver your login credentials directly into the hands of hackers.
Damaging Consequences for Victims
Once scammers access your Facebook account, the consequences can be severe. They gain access to your personal photos and posts, private messages exchanged with friends and family, your contacts list, and any other private information you store on Facebook.
This gives them the keys to steal your identity and exploit you as a victim of fraud. They could sell your information on the dark web, use it themselves to open credit cards or apply for government benefits, or threaten you into sending them money.
The scammers also leverage your account to send more phishing links to your friends, spreading the scam to more and more victims. Each compromised account gives access to hundreds more in their friend networks.
Even worse, if you reuse the same email and password combo on multiple sites, the scammers can access your accounts on those sites too. Imagine if they got into your bank account, email, or credit cards using stolen Facebook credentials.
Spreading Like Wildfire
Facebook estimates that fake accounts and hacking scams compromise millions of accounts every year. The “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” scam in particular has spread exponentially due to its ability to manipulate human emotion and bypass users’ defenses.
Security experts have called it one of the most dangerous Facebook scams currently circulating due to how quickly it spreads and the sensitive personal data it exposes. Law enforcement has also struggled to trace the scammers, many of whom operate out of foreign countries and hide behind layers of fake accounts and IP addresses.
This scam has left countless victims with compromised personal information, damaged reputations, and struggles to regain access to their accounts. Staying vigilant and recognizing the signs of this scam is crucial to protect yourself and your community. Don’t become the next victim of this devastating identity theft trap.
How the Scam Works
The creators of the “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” scam use social engineering tactics to progressively trick unsuspecting Facebook users. They exploit human emotions like shock, urgency, and panic to lead victims through a carefully crafted sequence ending in stolen login credentials.
Here is an in-depth, step-by-step look at exactly how this scam unfolds:
Stage 1: Gaining Access to a Facebook Account
The first step for scammers is gaining control of a real Facebook user’s account. They achieve this through two primary methods:
Phishing: The scammers create a fake Facebook login page and send links to it in Facebook messages or emails. When users try to login, their credentials go to the scammers instead of Facebook.
Malware: The scammers create apps, games, or files containing malware to infect users’ devices. This malware can steal passwords, install keylogger programs, or gain remote access to take over accounts.
Once scammers gain access to even one account, they can begin perpetuating the scam.
Stage 2: Crafting Emotional Messages
After hacking into accounts, the scammers impersonate the users and start sending messages to friends and family members.
They craft the messages to contain shocking, emotional headlines about accidents, disasters or deaths. Some examples:
“I can’t believe our old college friend Ashley died in a river rafting accident. Here’s the story of what happened…”
“Horrible news. Over 50 killed in a train derailment outside the city. Thoughts are with the families.”
“Little Jeremy was hit by a car riding his bike. I’m devastated. He didn’t make it.”
These messages seem to come from a trusted friend. The scammers exploit this to override critical thinking and get users to click urgently.
Stage 3: Directing Users to Fake Articles
Each emotional message contains a link, supposedly to a news article about the tragic story.
The headlines promise details about what happened and the full story:
“Click here for the developing story on the rafting accident that claimed Ashley’s life”
“Coverage of the devastating train derailment and rescue efforts”
“More details emerge on the car accident that killed young Jeremy”
The urgency and emotion compelled by the headlines prompts users to click the links immediately without hesitation. But this is the fatal mistake that starts them down the path to being scammed.
Stage 4: Sending Users to Fake Login Pages
Instead of news articles, the links redirect users to sophisticated fake Facebook login pages. These pages precisely mimic the real Facebook site with logos, colors, fonts, and formatting.
Most users don’t notice small abnormalities that would indicate the site is fake. They see the familiar Facebook design and don’t suspect the urgent news link contains a trap.
Stage 5: Harvesting Users’ Login Credentials
Without realizing the page is fake, users enter their Facebook username and password into the scam site.
Instead of logging them into Facebook, these credentials are captured directly by the scammers running the phishing site in the background.
Users expect to be redirected back to their Facebook feeds. But they are actually giving full access to their accounts directly to the scammers.
Stage 6: Spreading to Friends
Now able to impersonate the user, the scammers send more phishing links to friends in that user’s network. This allows them to harvest more credentials and take over more accounts.
Each compromised account gives access to hundreds of friends, allowing the scam to spread at an exponential rate. This results in an avalanche effect of compromised accounts flooding the platform.
Stage 7: Stealing Private Data
Finally, the scammers leverage their access to steal personal information from the accounts. This includes private messages, photos, location check-ins, contacts, interests, and any other sensitive data.
They may sell this data on the dark web, use it themselves for identity theft, or exploit victims through extortion and ransom demands. The victims’ lives are turned upside down.
As this step-by-step breakdown shows, this scam leverages complex social engineering tricks and preys on human psychology. But recognizing the techniques at each stage makes users far less susceptible. Stay vigilant to protect yourself and your sensitive data from this chain of manipulation.
Warning Signs of the Scam
Here are key signals that a concerning Facebook message could be the “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” scam:
It comes from a friend you haven’t heard from in a while. Scammers hack accounts to impersonate real friends.
The message has spelling and grammar errors. Scammers often come from non-English speaking countries.
It includes an unbelievable headline about a tragedy. Scammers use shock factor to get you to click.
The linked article is hosted on a dubious domain instead of a reputable news site.
Login pages have slight abnormalities like different fonts or logos.
Your friend would likely contact you directly if they had urgent news.
Stay vigilant for these signs so you can protect both yourself and your friends from this insidious scam.
What to Do If You Fell for the Scam
If you suspect your Facebook account has been compromised by the “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” or similar scam, act quickly:
Reset your Facebook password – This locks the scammers out of your account. Enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
Check privacy settings – Ensure your profile and posts are only visible to friends, not public.
Remove suspicious friends – Delete any new friends you don’t recognize who could be scammers.
Alert your real friends – Let them know your account was hacked so they can watch for suspicious messages from you.
Monitor your account closely – Keep checking to make sure no unauthorized posts appear from scammers.
Run antivirus software – Check your devices for spyware or keyloggers installed by fake login pages.
Change passwords on other accounts – If you reused your Facebook password elsewhere, update those as well.
Contact Facebook – Report the scam to help Facebook identify and shut down malicious links.
Take these steps as soon as possible to secure your account and personal information after being tricked. And learn how to spot similar scams moving forward.
Is Your Device Infected? Scan for Malware
If your computer or phone is slow, showing unwanted pop-ups, or acting strangely, malware could be the cause. Running a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is one of the most reliable ways to detect and remove harmful software. The free version can identify and clean common infections such as adware, browser hijackers, trojans, and other unwanted programs.
Malwarebytes works on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. Choose your operating system below and follow the steps to scan your device and remove any malware that might be slowing it down.
Malwarebytes for WindowsMalwarebytes for MacMalwarebytes for Android
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Windows
Malwarebytes stands out as one of the leading and widely-used anti-malware solutions for Windows, and for good reason. It effectively eradicates various types of malware that other programs often overlook, all at no cost to you. When it comes to disinfecting an infected device, Malwarebytes has consistently been a free and indispensable tool in the battle against malware. We highly recommend it for maintaining a clean and secure system.
Download Malwarebytes
Download the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows using the official link below. Malwarebytes will scan your computer and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious software for free.
(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes)
Install Malwarebytes
After the download is complete, locate the MBSetup file, typically found in your Downloads folder. Double-click on the MBSetup file to begin the installation of Malwarebytes on your computer. If a User Account Control pop-up appears, click “Yes” to continue the Malwarebytes installation.
Follow the On-Screen Prompts to Install Malwarebytes
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, the setup wizard will guide you through the process.
You’ll first be prompted to choose the type of computer you’re installing the program on—select either “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer” as appropriate, then click on Next.
Malwarebytes will now begin the installation process on your device.
When the Malwarebytes installation is complete, the program will automatically open to the “Welcome to Malwarebytes” screen.
On the final screen, simply click on the Open Malwarebytes option to start the program.
Enable “Rootkit scanning”.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start, and you will see the main screen as shown below. To maximize Malwarebytes’ ability to detect malware and unwanted programs, we need to enable rootkit scanning. Click on the “Settings” gear icon located on the left of the screen to access the general settings section.
In the settings menu, enable the “Scan for rootkits” option by clicking the toggle switch until it turns blue.
Now that you have enabled rootkit scanning, click on the “Dashboard” button in the left pane to get back to the main screen.
Perform a Scan with Malwarebytes.
To start a scan, click the Scan button. Malwarebytes will automatically update its antivirus database and begin scanning your computer for malicious programs.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now scan your computer for browser hijackers and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Quarantine detected malware
Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete, it will display a list of detected malware, adware, and potentially unwanted programs. To effectively remove these threats, click the “Quarantine” button.
Malwarebytes will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the program’s quarantine.
Restart your computer.
When removing files, Malwarebytes may require a reboot to fully eliminate some threats. If you see a message indicating that a reboot is needed, please allow it. Once your computer has restarted and you are logged back in, you can continue with the remaining steps.
Once the scan completes, remove all detected threats. Your Windows computer should now be clean and running smoothly again, free of trojans, adware, and other malware.
If your current antivirus allowed this malicious program on your computer, you may want to consider purchasing Malwarebytes Premium to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Malwarebytes for Mac is an on-demand scanner that can destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss without costing you absolutely anything. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free, and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.
Download Malwarebytes for Mac.
You can download Malwarebytes for Mac by clicking the link below.
When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the setup file to install Malwarebytes on your computer. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.
Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.
When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes for Mac Installer which will guide you through the installation process. Click “Continue“, then keep following the prompts to continue with the installation process.
When your Malwarebytes installation completes, the program opens to the Welcome to Malwarebytes screen. Click the “Get started” button.
Select “Personal Computer” or “Work Computer”.
The Malwarebytes Welcome screen will first ask you what type of computer are you installing this program, click either Personal Computer or Work Computer.
Click on “Scan”.
To scan your computer with Malwarebytes, click on the “Scan” button. Malwarebytes for Mac will automatically update the antivirus database and start scanning your computer for malware.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for adware, browser hijackers, and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Quarantine”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malware that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine” button.
Restart computer.
Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
After scanning, delete any detected threats. Your Mac should now be free from adware, unwanted extensions, and other potentially harmful software.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious program on your computer, you might want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove a malicious program from your computer, please ask for help in our Mac Malware Removal Help & Support forum.
Run a Malware Scan with Malwarebytes for Android
Malwarebytes for Android automatically detects and removes dangerous threats like malware and ransomware so you don’t have to worry about your most-used device being compromised. Aggressive detection of adware and potentially unwanted programs keeps your Android phone or tablet running smooth.
Download Malwarebytes for Android.
You can download Malwarebytes for Android by clicking the link below.
In the Google Play Store, tap “Install” to install Malwarebytes for Android on your device.
When the installation process has finished, tap “Open” to begin using Malwarebytes for Android. You can also open Malwarebytes by tapping on its icon in your phone menu or home screen.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup process
When Malwarebytes will open, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through a series of permissions and other setup options. This is the first of two screens that explain the difference between the Premium and Free versions. Swipe this screen to continue. Tap on “Got it” to proceed to the next step. Malwarebytes for Android will now ask for a set of permissions that are required to scan your device and protect it from malware. Tap on “Give permission” to continue. Tap on “Allow” to permit Malwarebytes to access the files on your phone.
Update database and run a scan with Malwarebytes for Android
You will now be prompted to update the Malwarebytes database and run a full system scan.
Click on “Update database” to update the Malwarebytes for Android definitions to the latest version, then click on “Run full scan” to perform a system scan.
Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.
Malwarebytes will now start scanning your phone for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
Click on “Remove Selected”.
When the scan has been completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes for Android has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, tap on the “Remove Selected” button.
Restart your phone.
Malwarebytes for Android will now remove all the malicious apps that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.
When the scan is finished, remove all detected threats. Your Android phone should now be free of malicious apps, adware, and unwanted browser redirects.
If your current antivirus allowed a malicious app on your phone, you may want to consider purchasing the full-featured version of Malwarebytes to protect against these types of threats in the future. If you are still having problems with your phone after completing these instructions, then please follow one of the steps:
Restore your phone to factory settings by going to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
After cleaning your device, it’s important to protect it from future infections and annoying pop-ups. We recommend installing an ad blocker such as AdGuard. AdGuard blocks malicious ads, prevents phishing attempts, and stops dangerous redirects, helping you stay safe while browsing online.
Frequently Asked Questions About the “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” Facebook Scam
1. What is the “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” Facebook scam?
This is a phishing scam where hackers send Facebook messages pretending a friend has passed away. The message links to a fake login page to steal your credentials.
2. How does the “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” scam work?
Scammers gain access to accounts, then message friends with fake tragic headlines and article links. The links go to phishing sites mimicking Facebook’s login to steal credentials.
3. What are some examples of the fake headlines used in this scam?
“I can’t believe he’s gone, I’m gonna miss him so much”
“Our dear friend Dave died in a horrible accident”
“Little Timmy collapsed and died during the school marathon”
4. What are the warning signs of this Facebook scam?
Spelling/grammar errors
Shocking/emotional headlines
Suspicious links
Message from inactive friend
5. What should I do if I clicked the link in the message?
Immediately change your Facebook password and enable two-factor authentication. Check your privacy settings. Report the scam to Facebook.
6. How can I protect myself from the “It Won’t Be the Same Without Him” scam?
Don’t click links in suspicious messages, even if from friends. Confirm tragic news directly with the person.
Look for odd spelling/grammar, URLs, formatting in messages.
Hover over links to see the URLs before clicking.
Use strong unique passwords for each account.
Enable two-factor authentication.
7. What should I do if my Facebook account is compromised?
Reset your password, remove suspicious friends, alert real friends of hacking, monitor account activity, run antivirus scans, and change passwords on other accounts that may be compromised.
8. How can I report this scam to Facebook?
Go to Facebook’s phishing scam reporting page. Provide details on the scam message, links, and impacted accounts.
9. How widespread is this Facebook phishing scam?
Security experts say it has exploded in popularity due to manipulating human emotion. Millions of accounts are compromised by these scams annually.
10. Who typically runs these types of scams?
They often originate overseas using networks of fake accounts and proxies to hide identities. Multiple groups leverage phishing kits available online.
The Bottom Line
The “It Won’t Be The Same Without Him” Facebook scam is a prime example of social engineering – manipulating human emotions to bypass security. By recognizing the tricks and tactics scammers use, we can avoid falling into their traps.
Be skeptical of shocking messages from friends, especially those containing links. Report any scams you encounter to help protect the Facebook community. And use strong passwords unique to each account to minimize the damage from any credential compromise.
Staying alert and using common sense is our best defense against losing our online identities and security to underhanded scammers. Don’t let them catch you off guard with fake tragedies tailored to exploit your emotions.
Thomas is an expert at uncovering scams and providing in-depth reporting on cyber threats and online fraud. As an editor, he is dedicated to keeping readers informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and tech.
