MH17 scammers use stolen cards, fake Facebook profiles

Fraudsters are exploiting the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, using stolen credit cards and setting up fake social media profiles.

The cards of victims of the doomed flight have been reportedly stolen and banks are taking “preventative measures”, the Dutch Banking Association has said.

Any expenditure will be compensated to next of kin, according to a statement issued over the weekend.

Scammers have also set up Facebook profiles in the names of the flight’s victims.

Links on the pages claim to take readers to further information, but instead bombard users with pop-up ads, Fairfax Media has reported.

Three of the fake pages have reportedly been set up in the names of young West Australian children who were killed.