What is the "look who died in an accident" prank? TikTok and Facebook scam explained

If you are active on social media and haven't received a message that says "look who died in an accident," then consider yourself lucky.

Recently, a massive phishing scam has been widely circulating on apps like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, where some users are receiving messages from their friends or unknown users, saying - "look who died in an accident, I think you know him so sorry."

And, this doesn't end here, there is a link present too in that message that redirects you to a page where you will be asked to enter your password. From then on, your information will be leaked and it might be used against you as well.

The scam is currently going viral on TikTok and Facebook. Some social media users who have come across comments and tweets from people about the scam are calling it the weirdest phishing technique. This is because this attack is surviving on the news of someone's death, and people are becoming victims of it due to this.

Meanwhile, the Digital Intelligence for Security and Stability, US Counter Action, called this scam the "creepiest phishing lead."

---

How does the "look who died in an accident" scam work?

In this scam, you don't get calls but you do get messages on social media, mostly from your friend's account. In this attack, they send you a message that says, "Look who died in an accident I think you know him so sorry."

Further, a link will also be attached to this message, and once you click on it and enter your password, your personal information like bank details and social media passwords will be sacrificed. Your account might then be used to send such messages to another friend of yours so that this phishing network works.

TikTok user shared information about look who died in an accident scam (Image via snip from TikTok/@charleyreber)

Experts have also shared information about this phishing scam and have urged people not to click on the link. It is has been advised that those who receive such a message with a link like that should immediately report it. If possible, they should also inform the friend from whom they received the message and let them know that their account was hacked and is being used for a scam.

---

How to report phishing message on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook?

If you get this message on TikTok, this is how you can report it:

Step 1: Click on the left button on the chat.

Step 2: Now, you need to click on the Report button.

If you receive the message on Facebook, this is how you can report it to the team:

Step 1: Click and hold that particular message.

Step 2: You will see the option to Report, among others.

Step 3: Click on the Report option and you are done with your part.

If you received this message on Instagram, this is how you can go about reporting it:

Step 1: Click and hold that particular message.

Step 2: Now, click on the Report button and submit it.

---

How are social media users are reacting to "look who died in an accident" scam?

Netizens were shocked after coming across this scam and have said that this is a very wrong thing to do. Take a look at some reactions:

Moreover, MalwareTips.com has stated that this scam is not just restricted to apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. A person can also get this through email, so it is advisable that people should delete such emails immediately before anything goes wrong.