BIDDEFORD — Folks of all ages are flocking to social media these days. Websites like Facebook keep families living in far flung locations uo-to-date, or can connect you with a classmate you may have not seen for 50 years.

But it is a big world out there and not everyone on social media is a true friend, said the folks at the Better Business Bureau of Maine, eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

So the organization is reissuing some tips on how to be smart on social media, specifically Facebook.

As well, said the  Paula Fleming, spokeswoman for the regional BBB, folks should also look out for telephone phishing scams, which she labelled the number one type of scam circulating in the region at the moment.

“Last month, 13 phishing scams were reported to the local BBB,” said Fleming. “In many reports, the first thing the scammer will say is “Can you hear me?” – an ongoing scam that began targeting consumers earlier this year.”

“One consumer reported that when they were asked ‘Can you hear me?’ and answered in the affirmative, someone else came on the line with a foreign accent and mentioned they were in the correct age bracket for a special offer,” Fleming said.

So far, she said, no one has reported a money loss, but it’s unclear how the scams will play out over time, or if the targets will be victimized at a later date. She cautioned the phishing scams can come in the form of telephone calls, email and text messages that ask for personal information.

BBB advises consumers to use Caller ID to screen calls, and consider not answering unfamiliar numbers. If a call is important, the caller will leave a message.

As to Facebook, the Better Business Bureau laid out three common scenarios:

• You receive a Facebook message from a friend or relative telling that you he or she has just won money, and your name is on the list of winners too. Your “friend” will assure you of its legitimacy and how you only need to pay a small fee in taxes, shipping fees and the like in order to claim your money. In some instances, you will first receive a friend request from a friend or family member that proceeds to share the same type of message with you.

If this has happened, then your friend or family member’s account has been hacked, or a scammer has created a fake profile using your friend’s name, photos, and other information without permission, the BBB said.

• You receive a message or email from someone claiming to be a Facebook employee.The message states that you have won several thousand dollars in prize money and that you are responsible for paying taxes. The “Facebook employee” may also message you to say a representative will pick up the payment in person at your house, or they may ask you to wire transfer the tax money. Facebook doesn’t host lotteries, the BBB notes — it’s a scam.

• Scammers also steal identities of real soldiers on social networking sites like Facebook and pose as military members. After posting pictures and stories, the scammers contact women, talks for a while and then the scammer will ask for help. Scammers ask for everything from laptop computers to money for airfare so they can fly back to the U.S. and visit the vicitim. Victims have been cheated out of up to $23,000, according to the BBB.

The BBB advises reporting fake profiles and fraud attempts to Facebook by clicking on the three dots at the bottom right corner of the suspect person’s cover photo.

As well, they advise filing a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and also reporting it to bbb.org/boston.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.​