Ningi and Beachmere have some of the most active community Facebook groups in the region. They are great for finding out why the power is out or who has the best local mangoes—but they can also be a target for “Local Scams.”
The “Injured Dog” or “Found Keys” Scam
Scammers often post heart-wrenching photos of an “injured dog” or a “lost child” in local groups to get people to “Like and Share.” Once the post has thousands of shares, the scammer edits the post to become a fraudulent link to a fake “financial giveaway” or a phishing site.
Stay Savvy
If you see a post that asks you to “share this to every group you know,” be wary. Check the profile of the person who posted it—if they don’t live in the area or have no friends in common, it’s likely a bot. Enjoy our local online community, but keep your “digital guard” up!
