What is Social Media Scams?

[ScamShield]

A "social media scam" refers to fraudulent activity that occurs on social media platforms, where scammers use deceptive tactics to trick users into giving away personal information, money, or access to their accounts, often through fake profiles, misleading posts, or malicious links, with common examples including phishing scams, fake giveaway promotions, romance scams, and impersonating brands or celebrities. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Key points about social media scams: [1, 2, 4, 5]

• Common tactics: Creating fake profiles, sending spam messages, posting alluring links, impersonating legitimate entities, running fake giveaways or contests. [1, 2, 4, 5]
• Goal of scammers: To steal personal information like passwords, credit card details, or social security numbers, or to gain access to your social media accounts. [1, 3, 4]
• Types of social media scams: [3, 4, 6]
  • Phishing scams: Sending messages that appear to be from a trusted source, asking for sensitive information through malicious links. [3, 4, 6]
  • Romance scams: Creating fake profiles to build relationships with users and then requesting money [1, 2, 7]
  • Giveaway scams: Promising large prizes in exchange for personal information or sharing a post widely [1, 5, 8]
  • Investment scams: Promoting fake investment opportunities with high returns [1, 5]
  • Impersonation scams: Posing as a known celebrity or brand to trick users [1, 2, 5]

How to protect yourself: [4, 6]

• Be cautious about clicking links: Verify the source of links before clicking, especially if they seem unexpected or suspicious. [4, 6]
• Check profiles carefully: Look for red flags like inconsistencies in profile information, few friends, or recently created accounts. [1, 2, 5]
• Never share sensitive information: Avoid giving out personal details like passwords, credit card numbers, or social security numbers on social media. [1, 2, 4]
• Report suspicious activity: If you encounter a potential scam, report it to the social media platform. [1, 5, 8]

Sources
[1] https://www.aura.com/learn/social-media-scams
[2] https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Social-media-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them
[3] https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/what-is/phishing/social-media-phishing.html
[4] https://www.atfcu.org/about/telco-blog/understanding-social-media-scams-and-how-to-avoid-them
[5] https://www.aura.com/learn/instagram-scams
[6] https://inspiredelearning.com/blog/social-media-phishing-primer/
[7] https://warangalpolice.telangana.gov.in/social-media-frauds
[8] https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/11/slow-your-scroll-spot-and-avoid-social-media-giveaway-scams