While social media can be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, it is also the target of a wide variety of phishing scams.
These scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to trick people into giving them their financial and personal information. That makes it especially important for everyone to keep up on some of the top scams in hopes that they won’t be the next target.
These are the top 5 social media scams that you need to be sure to avoid:
#1: Customer care imposters
It’s not uncommon for cybercrooks to create false customer service accounts that will intercept messages that are tweeted to banks, video game producers, and e-commerce.
For example, a consumer may pose a question on a support site and within minutes receive a response from what appears to be a customer service representative. They may ask for personal or financial information or provide a link for you to follow to help take care of your problem. Be sure to look for the “verified” logo in all communications with customer service representatives.
#2: Live stream lures
This is bait posted as phony comments for popular event live streams, such as a boxing match or big football game. What is the hook? The posted link will lead you to a website run by a scammer that will attempt to get your credit card details under the guise of a free trial.
#3: Fake discounts and freebies
Who doesn’t love a good bargain? That’s why con artists will set up a social media account that looks legitimate. They will offer cheap or free products or services and ask for your name, address, phone number, and email which they will then use to sell on the black market or use for identity theft. They may also gather your credit card information to pay for fake shipping charges.
#4: Surveys and contest cons
This is an oldie but goodie where fraudsters promise prizes for completing a survey when in reality, they will gather your personal information. The con artist’s posts and links appear to be authentic, but don’t be fooled.
#5: Gossip gotchas
If you see search terms of celebrity names paired with terms such as picture or video have been long-standing schemes. They are among the internet’s most typed search terms and most dangerous for malware. These links promise illicit photos and videos of Hollywood’s most elite but are really scams that phish for credit card info.
If you are unsure if you have been the victim of a scam or have come across social media information that you believe to be a scam, contact your local law enforcement. They will be able to advise you of what scams to be aware of and may be able to help protect you from being the next victim.
