Mystery over hacked Mayo Facebook messenger accounts

THE hacking of Facebook messenger accounts is a source of mystery across Mayo tonight.

People have been receiving texts from 'friends' advising them to make contact with a person representing a company running a sweepstakes.

The bogus text says he or she got €50,000 in winnings by contacting the person, advising the message recipient to make contact right away as they might win the same.

However, the approach appears to be a trick to hack into people's mobile phones and gain access to their private data.

When direct contact was made to the people purporting to be sending the texts encouraging people to sign in, they knew nothing about it, expressing dismay that their social media identities are being used in this way.

Further investigations into the matter are taking place.

In the meantime, the public is urged to be cautious when contact is made with them by a 'friend' on Facebook messenger suggesting how they may be in line for a big sweepstakes win.