‘Mermaid Found Inside a Shark Uncut Video Rare’ is a Scam

‘Mermaid Found Inside a Shark Uncut Video Rare’ is a Scam
Jack Phillips
4/14/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

A viral post saying a mermaid was “found inside a shark” and purports to have video footage of it is a Facebook scam.

The whole scam reads, “[UNCUT VIDEO] RARE! Mermaid found inside a shark! NEVER SEEN BEFORE! Mermaid found inside a shark! Exclusive Footabge.”

When users click on the post, they’re taken to a website designed to look like Facebook. It then asks them to share the post before going further.

However, when the post is shared, there is no video footage.

Users are simply taken to a website where they are asked to complete bogus surveys.

“Sharing this web page will only help spread this scam to other Facebook users. And, completing the surveys will only generate revenue for the cybercriminals behind this scam,” security website Online Threat Alerts says. “The victim on the other hand, will not be able to view the video that they were promised, because it doesn’t exist.”

It adds: “If you have shared this scam, remove the share Facebook post from your Timeline or Wall, because this will help stop this scam from spreading to other Facebook users.”

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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