Pinterest Password Scam: How It Works
(with video below)
If you’re an avid Pinterest user, watch out for the latest scam, the Pinterest Password Reset or Pinterest Login scam. Let’s take a look at it.
Pinterest is vastly popular with millions of users pinning pictures to their boards every day. Phishing scams are nothing new, and this latest Password Reset scam targets users of the photo sharing site.
In this latest scam involving Pinterest, scammers are sending email notifications to registered users advising them that they have successfully reset their passwords. Users click on the link in the email and are led through a variety of screens which will take them to a compromised website which will infect their PC with malware.
Watch the video below to see in action a different variation of the Pinterest scam:
Scammers create images and fake websites with the Pinterest branding. They look very realistic and lure victims into clicking on the link provided, where they are required to put in their login credentials.
One of the latest tricks is also the key phrase: “Someone logged into your Pinterest account from a new location in Argentina [or any other country]. We just want to confirm this was you.
If you did not log in from this location, you should follow the link below to tell us you didn’t make the change. We’ll lock your account until you secure it with a new password. To lock your account and prevent unauthorized usage, click this link or paste it into your browser”.
Needless to say, the link (see pic below) will take you to a very similar page to the real Pinterest website.
Pinterest Password Scam: How To Avoid
When making any account changes, such as password updates, only do so on the actual site of which you are making the change, in this case, www.pinterest.com. Be aware that Pinterest never sends emails requesting login or password information from its users.
Finally, be sure you always have updated and fully functioning virus protection and anti-malware software on your computer to protect yourself from these types of issues.
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You’ll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
Related Articles and Pages
Facebook Customer Service Number Scam
How Scammers Hack Into Your Facebook Account
Verify a website below
Are you just about to make a purchase online? See if the website is legit with our validator:
vldtr®
I just got scammed by an email please lock
Just wanna say i got an email from Pintrest.com but i have never had a pintrest account. ive refused to sign up coz i hate all the pintrest results in my search I also dont understand the point of pintrest
I may have been scammed on my Pinterest account and am very anxious 70yr old lady. Please can you help me before I lose too much more sleep?
I’ve been on Pinterest about a year now through Google and my mom is on Pinterest through Facebook somehow last night it would not allow me in and now when I hit the Pinterest icon she’s Link In now on my page and i cant get back on
just received email with slightly different wording, could you tell me if this is valid or a scam please:
"Due to strange activity, we put your account in safe mode to protect your Pins. All you need to do now is reset your password. Once you’ve done so, you can get right back to Pinning all your favorite Pinterest finds.
If it’s helpful, you can also check out these security tips."
I had previously tried to sign in to Pintrest via Facebook and had a message i had exceeded quota. In fact i havent signed in for a long time.
PS ive just done what you said and gone straight to http://www.pinterest.com and there is a message about my account being put in safe mode and that they have sent me an email about it. So the email message appears to be valid..
Reset Password "
is this a valid message om my account" Your account is in safe mode. "To protect your pins from suspicious activity, please reset your password to secure your account."
Kind regards,
Silvia MCDonald