Scammers continue using social media to go after money and personal information. Scammers like social media because they can pretend to be someone they’re not. They can hack your profile, pretend to be you, and con your friends. They can target you and others using information from your profile like your age, hobbies, and what you buy. And they can do all this at little to no cost
What can social media scams look like?
- Scammers might target you with an ad, but after you pay it ends up being fake. Then, they take your money and run.
- Scammers might try to sell you on a bogus investment opportunity, often involving cryptocurrency.
- Scammers send a friend request out of the blue and pretend to be a potential love interest – but end up asking for money.
No matter the social media platform, scammers are out to steal any information they can to use for their benefit. It is important to be aware of these scams and protect yourself from becoming the victim of identity theft.
Here are ways to protect yourself from social media scams:
- Use privacy settings to limit who can see your information and what you post.
- Never reply to messages that ask for money or personal information, even if you know the person. Call to verify incase their account may have been hacked.
- Do not share your live location or post about daily routines.
- Lessen about of information in the “about” section.
- Don’t accept requests from people you do not recognize.
- Reevaluate your “Friends” or “Connections” list.
- Check if you can opt out of targeted advertising.
- Check out a company before you make a purchase.
- Don’t deal with a vendor that requires payment by cryptocurrency, gift card, or wire transfer. It is likely a scam.
If you see or experience scam on social media, report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
That Friend Request Could be From a Scammer, Kira Krown, Consumer Advice, Federal Trade Commission.