Chris Emery easily slips in and out of his alter ego, Chris Kringle, when explaining his recent, ongoing frustrations with a Facebook hacker and support heB次元官网网址檚 received from friends.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been feeling the love but somebody is definitely on the naughty list,B次元官网网址� said Emery.

Well known in the Shuswap for his spot-on portrayal of Father Christmas in December at the Centenoka Park Mall, Emery said he was outside shovelling snow on the morning of November 23 when someone took over his Facebook account. Emery said the first thing the hacker did was replace his phone number and email address.

It wasnB次元官网网址檛 long before a friend noticed something suspect, and called him at home.

B次元官网网址淚 ended up having a good buddy call, he said B次元官网网址榡ust confirming that wasnB次元官网网址檛 you on internet? Were just texting each other on the internet?B次元官网网址� I said no, IB次元官网网址檝e been shovelling snow all morning,B次元官网网址� said Emery.

Emery quickly got onto Facebook to report the account had been hacked but, as of Nov. 28, the account remained under the hackerB次元官网网址檚 control.

B次元官网网址淭hanks to whomever reported this for me, but Facebook didnB次元官网网址檛 believe it. Maybe if more of my friends reported the theft, we could remedy this hacking and attempted extortion!!!B次元官网网址� Emery wrote in a post on his new Facebook account under the name Chris Emery (Chris Kringle).

In another, more recent post, he wrote B次元官网网址淪tarting overB次元官网网址� Not nice to steal SantaB次元官网网址檚 Page!!!B次元官网网址�

Soon after the hack, people on EmeryB次元官网网址檚 extensive list of Facebook friends began receiving messages from his hacked account, with the hacker, pretending to be Emery, sharing stories of desperate financial need and asking for help.

In one situation, the hacker said he needed money for pills. In another, the hacker asked to send $3,000 to a friend.

B次元官网网址淭hey said IB次元官网网址檝e got $3,000 in my pocket here and IB次元官网网址檝e got to get it to my buddy, and my buddy isnB次元官网网址檛 on the internet. If you can take 3,000 bucks over to my buddy, or you could email that to my buddy and IB次元官网网址檒l put the money in your hand tomorrow,B次元官网网址� said Emery.

Emery said the hacker even tried to get money out of someone he knows for photos with Santa.

B次元官网网址淪omebody was offering me money to come by for some Santa photos. I do a lot of this stuff for hugs, but anyway, buddy pretending to be me, he wanted to get paid in advanceB次元官网网址� He just kept pumping her and finally she goes, B次元官网网址榊ouB次元官网网址檙e not Chris,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Emery.

Emery said no one has fallen for the scammerB次元官网网址檚 stories, and heB次元官网网址檚 been humbled by the responses heB次元官网网址檚 received from his friends. He said people have been contacting him to make sure heB次元官网网址檚 all right and assuring him if he does need money for something, they would help him out.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had so many telephone calls from friends that go, B次元官网网址榶ou know, if things are tough, you could hit me up for a few bucks. I just want to check to make sure youB次元官网网址檙e all right.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

In addition to reporting the hack to Facebook, Emery said heB次元官网网址檚 also reported it to police.

While word is getting around about the hack, Emery said he has many friends who may not yet know about it and is worried they too will be targeted.

B次元官网网址淭he guy gets more desperate and puts on more pressure, B次元官网网址業 need the money right now and I canB次元官网网址檛 wait,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Emery.

One thing Emery has done with the new account, and something he advised others to do, is to turn onin security/log-in settings.

B次元官网网址淚 have to have to enter codes back and forth between my phone and my laptop. That would have prevented this,B次元官网网址� said Emery.

Emery/Kringle said Santa will be returning to the mall for photos, which begin Saturday, Dec. 3.

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