Beware of Scams on Social Media
Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to access your information, and that includes using social media to their advantage. As social media apps and sites only grow more diverse and popular, it’s important to know what to look for when browsing them to avoid falling victim to a potential scam.
Shopping scams
The use of social media platforms as a medium for online shopping is on the rise, and many of the same scams used on websites now apply to social media apps. For instance, if a price seems unbelievably low or “too good to be true,” there’s a high likelihood it is fraudulent. Sellers that give little to no information about the product or themselves should also be treated with reasonable suspicion. On sites with official sections dedicated to shopping, beware of any seller who tries to take business dealings into direct messages or even off the site entirely. They may also ask for payment for goods and services through direct peer-to-peer payment apps where your money may likely be lost in the event you are scammed.
Phishing
Phishing is a type of cybercrime where fraudsters impersonate someone to trick victims into revealing their personal financial information. By using someone else’s identity to pose as a regular or existing user, they hope to convince others that they are the legitimate individual in question, and then ask for personal or financial information, like credit card, bank account or social security numbers.
Cybercriminals have also been known to impersonate a business and try to lure users offsite through official-looking links. As with any site, you should never click a link if you are doubtful of where it leads. Also, you should always be on the lookout for clues that could indicate a scammer is at work, such as misspelled words or broken grammar.
To stay ahead of fraudsters, conduct your online business directly through official websites, and be wary of anyone claiming to be a known business on an unrelated app. Trustmark, for instance, would never ask for your personal information through social media or attempt to contact you through unofficial channels.
Romance scams
Online relationships are becoming more and more common, and unfortunately, some people will use that for illicit purposes. Criminals may reach out to individuals online posing as someone seeking a romantic relationship in order to acquire personal information or extort money from them. These scams can be particularly difficult to catch as the scammer might appear to be a genuine account and might even keep the relationship going for months before attempting to actually scam the victim.
There are some ways to check the validity of an online account. Many social media apps have methods to verify someone’s authenticity, like displaying a badge or a note. An account without a verification indicator might be more suspect than one with it. Also, in the event that the fake account is a bot, the language used may seem unnatural. As AI improves, it can be harder to distinguish bot-like language, so if you have a bad feeling about it, trust your gut instinct.
Keeping social media safe
Along with staying vigilant against these types of scams and more, there are ways you can help keep cybercriminals off of social media sites. Companies are already hard at work trying to ban any malicious users from their sites, and you can help by reporting any activity that seems suspicious. If you suspect a scam is in progress, do not interact with the scammer any further and report their account immediately to the site using their reporting functions.
If you happen to give up sensitive information, like a bank account number or password, you should immediately work to lock access to your finances. You can call your bank or may be able to use your mobile banking app to temporarily disable use of your account. You can always go to a local branch to speak with someone who can help.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can help keep your information and finances safe when browsing or shopping on your favorite social media sites.
