Instagram Scam Claims To Be Michigan Lottery Winner Kelsey Zachow Giving Away $1,000 To New Followers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Instagram users should be on the lookout for a new scam looking to prey on users wanting to get a quick buck.
Multiple accounts claiming to be $66 million Michigan lottery winner Kelsey Zachow promise a certain number of users that they will receive $1,000 if they follow her instructions. Those include leaving your PayPal address in the comments—which should be an automatic red flag.
Typically the account asks for a follow, a mention of the account in question and the user to comment with their PayPal account. The account will sometimes have pictures claiming to be proof, including a fake PayPal transaction history showing payments being made and tweets from Oprah and Tyler Perry.
Upon closer inspection, those tweets are dated July 11, 2014. Zachow did not come forward publicly to claim her prize until July 31.
Users should report those accounts to Instagram and should not fall for the bait.
In addition, make sure you have two-factor authentication enabled on your PayPal account and use a strong password for it. If a scammer gets ahold of your email, this will make it much more difficult for them to make use of your account.
Also remember the all-important rule of the Internet: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.