Social media has become integral to our lives. How? Well, it allows us to connect with friends. It also allows us to consume the latest news. And even augment our brands to earn an income.
However, with social media platforms rising in popularity, there also has been an increase in scams. Such scams have the potential to impact your finances. Moreover, your identity and even the security of friends and family.
The most common types of social media scams in 2024 that are prevalent in targeting the youth are:
Impersonation of other people on social media has become one of the most common scams in 2024. Here, people will create fake accounts of your friends on social media. After doing so, they will follow you on these platforms for some time, making conversation from time to time.
Soon, when you get comfortable with them, they will pop the most important question – “will you lend me some money?” Once you give it to them, you are not getting that money back.
If you face such scenarios, always ask them to video call. If they refuse, tell them to meet you personally. If they still refuse, you have the right to refuse this fake friendship and terminate it immediately.
When you enter various kinds of websites, you will receive prompts saying, “Your phone is infected with malware – please download this antivirus.” Little did you know that the antivirus it asks you to download is fake and is the malware itself.
These kinds of malware target your personal data on your phone. If such information falls into the wrong hands, it can wreak havoc for you.
Most bot posts in X (previously Twitter) and various other social media platforms ask you to click on various links. If you click on these links, you might get a chance to win a lottery, sometimes even other types of rewards. However, most of these are just social media scams.
These URLs lead you to a hacker’s website. Once you enter it, the website secretly collects all your browser cookies, passwords, and other forms of data.
Due to the nature of the current economic climate, more fraudsters are preying on people looking for loans. It starts with a fake profile. The fraudster either creates one or hacks a legitimate one.
Next, they start writing posts offering money and contacting people who are seeking loans. They may also advertise. The loans are usually too good to be true. Great rates and no credit check. Anyone who falls for the scam shares sensitive information. Fraudsters can use it for identity theft scams.
Just a reminder that if you genuinely need a loan, use a reputable online line of credit (LOC) resource. Remember, there’s never a guarantee of approval. Such loans are best for emergencies.
Still, you can learn about the pros and cons of an LOC from a trustworthy platform before you make a decision.
Another common scam is the “money flipping” scheme. Here, scammers promise quick and easy financial gains by asking users to invest a small amount of money upfront. Additionally, “romance scams” prey on individuals searching for love online. How do romance scams work? In a nutshell, fraudsters create fake profiles and form emotional connections to exploit their victims financially.
You may also find scammers who target older adults, claiming they can help them avoid taxes. Remember, retirement does not exempt you from taxes!
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While social media scams can vary in their approach, there are some telltale signs to watch out for.
For starters, be cautious of unsolicited messages or friend requests from people you don’t know. Scammers use these tactics to gain your personal information or initiate fraudulent activities.
Pay attention to the language. Examples of signs include:
Another red flag is requests for money or personal information. And as mentioned, be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.
The threat of social media scams may seem daunting. But you can enhance your online safety. For starters, exercise caution when accepting friend requests or connecting with new individuals. Verify the authenticity of the profile before accepting, especially if the request comes from someone you don’t know personally.
Share information carefully. And regularly review your friend list and remove individuals who you no longer trust or recognize. Why? Well, you never know who has been compromised. Anyone can get hacked nowadays.
The right apps can help. One such tool is a password manager. It securely stores and generates unique passwords for your accounts. This helps protect against password breaches. It also ensures that you are not reusing passwords.
Another useful resource is two-factor authentication (2FA). This adds an extra layer of security. Additionally, use antivirus software that offers real-time protection against malware and phishing attempts.
If you wish to steer clear of social media scams in 2024 and stay safe on the internet. here are some of the best social media practices you must follow:
First, ensure that your social media accounts, especially your email ID, have a strong undecipherable password. having strong passwords makes it difficult for hackers to hack into your email ID and gain total control over your social media accounts.
Whenever you are creating a post on social media, ensure that you don’t give away any personal data like your phone number, email ID, usernames, baking details, and more.
You must install antivirus software on your smartphone and computer. These apps detect malicious sites and links that you might potentially open through social media scams disguising themselves. Therefore, once it alerts you that the link or site you wish to open in unsafe – be a goof kid and don’t open it.
There are many types of social media scams on the internet in 2024. Moreover, they have evolved in a lot of ways that will confuse you, whether it’s real or fake. Therefore, remember the social media scams above and report these posts.
Moreover, adopt the tips mentioned above for your safety. With the right strategies, you can stay safe.
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Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.
