Almost got tricked by someone using my friend's account

My friend’s account messaged me out of nowhere, and I almost fell for it. The person knew my real name, but luckily I didn’t share any of my money or bank details. My friends told me it was a hacker and that my friend’s account was hacked.

/u/D1onysus_b1 - This message is for all new posts in this forum; please do not reach out to the moderators about it.

New users should be careful:

Since you posted here, expect to start receiving private messages from scammers claiming they can help you recover your money through a professional hacker or lawyer for a fee. We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private: always discuss things in the comments here where the community can keep track of the situation. If you get advice privately, you’re on your own.

A reminder of the rules in this forum: no contact info (like last names or phone numbers). Be respectful to each other (no insults). Requests to gather personal armies or “scam the scammer” posts are not allowed. No uncensored gore or personal photos are permitted without blurring. You can find the full list of rules in the sidebar of the forum or click here.

Help us out by reporting recovery scammers or any rule-breaking content by using the “report” button. We review every report. Also, consider warning others about recovery scammers if you spot them in the comments.

Got questions about the forum rules? Send us a modmail clicking here.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this forum if you have any questions or concerns.

Yeah, that’s a common Muse scam. Good thing you caught on.

Ainara said:
Yeah, that’s a common Muse scam. Good thing you caught on.

Hi /u/ky0877, AutoModerator is here to explain the Muse scam.

The Muse scam is a type of fake check scam where the scammer reaches out via social media, claiming they want to use your image for an art project. They often use a hacked social media account to make themselves seem trustworthy. They’ll offer a good amount of money and pay with a check, asking the victim to send money for “materials” using a method that can’t be reversed. The victim thinks the money is cleared because the bank makes it available right away. But the fake check will usually bounce in a few weeks, though it could take months.

If you can’t cover the amount, your account could go negative. Your bank might charge you for that bad check, and they might close your account based on how severe the situation is. You can call up the fake check automoderator explanation using the trigger fakecheck. Thanks to redditor aNeatHat for this script.

In this scam, a scammer pretends to be an artist. If an artist is targeted, use the automoderator trigger (artist).

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this forum if you have any questions or concerns.

When someone says kindly, it’s usually a scam.

Does your friend usually talk like a scammer and use the word ‘kindly’?

VigilantVoyager said:
Does your friend usually talk like a scammer and use the word ‘kindly’?

We hadn’t spoken in a long time, and I didn’t notice the red flags until my friends pointed them out.

Yep. You don’t need to know someone’s bank details to send them a check.

They do this to avoid creating a fake check from your bank.

Sounds like her account might have been taken over through a PIN scam.