The scammers just never cease to amaze me and every time I think I've heard "them all" another scheme surfaces and I just shake my head.

Today one of my friend's Facebook posts warned she got hit up in a FB instant messaging scam.   Frances Connors was surfing the popular social networking website when the ding of an instant message alert sounded. It was from a pal and the online chat started off with innocent chit chat.  Then Connors was shocked when the web dialog drastically changed.

    "She says that she is in trouble. I'm immediately concerned. Little by little she gives me the details. She is in London (believable) and that she is stuck there. The e-mail is disjointed as if she had been partying (believable). She tells me she was robbed at gunpoint, her credit cards, phone and cash stolen. She asks if she can ask a favor of me. She needs tickets to get her (and her family) out of there. She needs cash and she'll pay me back tomorrow."

Conners said she was, "weirded out" but continued the chat. "I'm giving her other possible solutions. Meanwhile I'm on the phone calling her closer friends. No one can reach her, but no one knows about the London trip. Finally, I tell the person I'm calling the police. They immediately disappear."   Luckily Conners didn't send any money.

Within moments of Conners posting her warning, another one of her Facebook friends, Julie Thorton, got hit up. "Same thing JUST happened to me-just 2 minutes ago-posing as a mutual wellness friend. Watch out, there are hackers popping up as instant messaging, same story-everything!"

There's many different ways hackers can crack and account. Sometimes you're lured to a website that appears to be part of Facebook. Other times the crooks crack the password to another one of your accounts and then try it out on Facebook, hoping you use the same one.  So be careful where you surf, use different passwords on different accounts, especially you use online banking.  And most of all, if a friend appears to tug at your heart strings with a sob story, asking for money, watch out!