Identity Thieves Target Unsuspecting Facebook Users With Enticing Financial Offers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There is a new social media scam taking aim at Facebook users.

It recently targeted CBS2's Brian Conybeare.

The scam started with a message full of typos.

"Dear Conybeare, I have been in search of someone with this name "Conybeare"...I am Mr. Francis A Fraser, the Director of Accounts & Auditing Department in one of the leading bank here in UK London."

This Francis A. Fraser has a Facebook profile and a nice enough photo. He claims he once worked at Barclays bank, and he had an enticing offer.

"One late Mr. George Conybeare, a citizen of your country had a fixed deposit with my bank valued at U.S. $30,000,000.00"

Sadly, he said this George Conybeare died in a car crash, had no family, and no heirs. Since CBS2's Conybeare has the same last name, Fraser said he can make him the next of kin, and split the money 50-50.

The only catch is that CBS2's Conybeare would need to keep it all secret, and send him personal information including his full name, phone number, account details, bank name and branch, age and occupation, and a copy of his passport.

Former FBI agent and cyber security expert at Kroll Associates, Tim Ryan explained the scammer's method.

"The reason why con artists use social media is because it gives people this ability that they're your friends," he said, "To kind of sweet talk their way into having you believe that they really are somebody that you should know or that you should be friends with."

As con artists and criminals move to social media, people have to be much more careful about their online "friends."

There was no comment from Barclays on Thursday. Experts recommend reporting any scams like this one to the FBI's crime complaint center.