Warning: New Messenger Hack Is Incredibly Effective And Dangerous

So I received a message from a Sherrif friend of mine and things went off the rails.

I have a friend who used to be a Lubbock County sheriff. He has, as they say, moved on to bigger and better things out of town. He is still a bit of an assistance now and then due to his connections. He's also a pretty funny guy so we stay just a bit in touch.

I received a Facebook Messenger message from him saying, "Send me your number". I sent him my number. I knew that if he was asking for my number he might have some information on security for my side hustle, need a recommendation, or some other mundane friend stuff.

I was a tiny bit distraught when the next message I received from him said, "Wes, I'm not doing so well". I asked him if it was physical or mental, and before he could even answer I started encouraging him to get some help and some of the lessons I'd learned on the way. I very much jumped to conclusions because this is a man that has "seen some stuff". I also feel like cops carrying around a lot more than they're willing to admit.

The next message I got was, "I need some money, and I can get it back to you Wednesday". At this point, I did not know if my friend had fallen on hard times, lost his job, or maybe even picked up a gambling addiction. Well, "money" is one area that I'm not going to muddy up a friendship with, it just never works out well. I typed out a nice message saying so, then decided to pop over to his Facebook page proper to see if there was some clue as to what he got himself into.

On his page, I found that a couple of other people had posted copies of the message saying, "Is this you?", and "I think he's been hacked". Dang it.

Apparently, there is a new Messenger hack out there that lays it out exactly as I wrote it down, first asking for your number, then something to make you worry, followed by a request for money. I feel for it, and I'm a bit embarrassed, but heck, I was getting these messages from someone who has a badge as their profile and Messanger pic.

Be careful out there everybody and if a friend is in trouble, pick up the phone and call them.