Social media is a prime target for scammers. By understanding their tactics, you can protect yourself from becoming a victim. Let’s look at how scammers frequently use your social media profiles to lure you into scams.
The most tried-and-true tactic of scammers is a social engineering tactic called phishing. Phishing involves using deception, such as mimicking a trusted person, website, or organization, to steal your personal information.
For instance, you might get a message on social media with an enticing offer and a link to claim it. But once you click it, you’re directed to a legitimate-looking malicious website asking for your personal or financial information to claim the offer. As you enter the details, the scammer captures them on the other end so they can use them fraudulently.
Since these sites look legitimate, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the signs of a phishing website and report them. But before you get that far, it’s best not to respond to unsolicited messages or click suspicious links.
1 Impersonating Someone You Know
Some scammers are crafty enough to create fake profiles that impersonate a friend or family member. This usually happens in two ways: they hack into the person’s account or create an entirely new one with their personal information and photos.
Once they have the profile ready, they send you a friend request. If they are already your friend, they will send you a message to trick you into divulging your personal information or clicking on malicious links. They may even ask you to send them money.
If you get a suspicious message from a friend or family member, try contacting them directly through other means to find out if it’s really them. You could alert them of potential fraud if it’s not them.
Be careful of the information you share on your public profile as well. This information can be used to make scams seem more convincing.
2 Fake Giveaways and Promotions
Everyone loves free stuff, and scammers know this. They create convincing ads to lure unsuspecting victims to click on them and fill in a form to claim the prize. It’s a simple way to exploit people’s love of excitement, the promise of rewards, and the trust associated with spending money on posting an ad.
Before participating in any offer, you should learn how to spot a fake ad on social media. You’ll be able to instantly tell when you see warning signs like offers that are too good to be true, ads from unverified accounts or pages, and—as is common with any scam—poor grammar.
You should also check the comments sections of these ads; they’re usually filled with negative reviews and warnings from other users.
3 Fake Job Offers
I was once desperate for work when someone posted a job ad in a Facebook group saying they were hiring immediately. I clicked the post, and it said the offer was in a document on Google Docs. I clicked the link and was taken to a legitimate-looking Google sign-in page.
I found this odd because I had already signed in to my Google account on the browser. I should have been able to access the document immediately. Since I was desperate, I entered my login information anyway and submitted it.
Well, nothing happened because the button to submit the form didn’t work. That’s when I knew I had just been tricked with a fake job offer.
A few minutes later, I received an email from Google with the subject: Critical security alert. Google had blocked someone in a foreign country from accessing my account.
If it weren’t for Google’s strict security measures, my account would have been hacked.
It’s not hard to imagine that people have gotten their accounts hacked through fake job offers this way. So if you get a job offer on social media, check the URLs, research the company offering it, and always trust your instincts if something feels off.
4 Romance Scams
A romance scam is usually a long con. The scammer creates a fake social media profile and enters a romantic relationship with the victim. After gaining their complete trust, they suddenly start asking for money to meet various, out-of-the-blue expenses.
The victim then starts paying for their groceries, rent, trips, and medical bills. The scammer might even get them to provide their financial information, such as credit card details, so they can go on a spending spree before ghosting them.
To avoid romance scams on social media, always be wary of someone expressing their intense love too soon. Try to verify the person’s identity through other means. Also, don’t send them any money unless you have met them in person and gotten to know them for some time.
5 Quizzes and Surveys
What’s the harm in filling out a short survey or answering a quiz on social media for a gift card? If it’s from a legitimate or trusted account or page, nothing. But if it’s not, it could be scammers trying to steal your information or direct you to a phishing website.
The signs that this is a scam are usually the same as those for fake ads (e.g., unbelievably good offers and negative reviews). Only participate in quizzes and surveys asking for personal information if they’re from a reputable source. Also, always warn others by leaving a negative review once you verify it’s a scam.
6 Crypto and Other Investment Scams
Investment scams can entice you by claiming the person earns $100 a week trading crypto or forex. Low-risk, high-return investments are usually scams. If you researched the types of investments these scammers advertise, such as crypto or forex, you would discover it’s not something that can make someone rich overnight.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the scams you will encounter on social media. There are variations of these scams, and new ones keep popping up from time to time. It’s always best to be vigilant and protect yourself from social media scams.
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