More than 30 Queenslanders have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars after falling victim to a "Facebook Lottery" scam, prompting police to issue a warning.
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One victim in Mackay lost in excess of $100,000 in the scam and police are concerned there could be more victims.
Police said victims are contacted through their Facebook accounts, told they have won $7.5 million in the "Facebook Lottery" and need to pay a legal, late or admin fee to release the money.
The fee could be hundreds or thousands of dollars or they are asked to pay instalments.
Some victims have also been sent a sophisticated Facebook-branded credit card and promised it will be activated once an additional $7500 has been paid, according to police.
Detective Acting Superintendent Melissa Anderson from the Financial and Cyber Crime Group urged Queenslanders to be wary of these "once in a lifetime" offers.
“This is just a rehash of a number of long-running phishing-based lottery scams, just reinvented with a social media angle," she said.
“There is no Facebook lottery and certainly no Facebook credit card.
"Victims lose the $7500 and every other instalment or fee they have paid. This is just another example of criminals targeting vulnerable members of the community.
“If someone contacts you out of the blue to present you with winnings, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity or a chance to gain hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars, you must ignore it or seek independent advice to verify the claims.
“Make sure you are in control of your personal details and be wary of anyone seeking your information online or over the phone. You can’t win lotteries unless you buy a ticket.
"We urge the community to maintain control of their details and be mindful of what information you are giving out online. Is this too good to be true? I can say with almost 100 per cent confidence that it will be."
