While social media is a fantastic way to keep in touch or interact with people, social media scams are everywhere.
Social media scams take many forms, and many are native to one particular platform as Facebook scams, Twitter scams, Instagram scams (separate categories), and more are operating and trying to fleece people of money or use their personal information for nefarious purposes.
Facebook scams include messages from fake profiles, malware hidden in Facebook apps and games that are part of phishing attacks, and classified ad scams in the Facebook Marketplace.
Twitter scams can include emails sent from “Twitter,” and links in messages that are part of phishing attacks.
Multi-Level marketing scams are also common on social media and their empty promises of easy riches.
Social media can be wonderful, but be careful. Keep your eye on this space, and learn about the scams on social media as they emerge.
IQ Test Quiz Scam: How It Works (with video below) Scammers hack into your friends' accounts and post a link on your Facebook profile (or email), with titles such as: “Can you beat my IQ of 138? Click here”, "One of your friends sent you this IQ test" or “What is the next number […]
How the scam works: You can’t wait for the grand finale of your favorite TV show, whatever that is (The Bachelor, Hell's Kitchen, Orange is the New Black, etc). A few days before the anticipated show, you get a message (e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter) notifying you that you could be one of those privileged to […]
Winning Lottery Letter Scam: How It Works (with video below) This is the most common scam email that people receive. It can also come through the regular mail as a letter. The recipients are informed that they have won millions of dollars at some lottery. Some of the most used names are: International Postcode […]
Acai Berry Scam: How to Avoid The Acai Berry Scam is back with a new twist. It preys on people's despair to lose some weight by trying new products that are promised to be the new 'miracle cure'. It's that time of the year again, so beware. How does the scam work? Watch the […]
Account Upgrade Scam: How It Works Similar to the Bank Account Upgrade scam, this comes as an e-mail requesting you to update your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, Apple, iTunes, or PayPal accounts. The scammers inform you that: – the site is going through a revolutionary change to make communication better. – your account has been frozen […]
How the scam works: You are browsing the Internet and try to access a particular website. It could be an online magazine, shared page, or any interesting article. All of a sudden, pop-up appears saying “Adult Content Verification”. In a normal situation, this would be just a typical button: “press OK if you are over 18”. However, […]
How the scam works: If you are a big fan of smart phone apps, remember that the official distributors are iTunes and Google Play. It has been reported that scammers create websites that offer the Top 10 or Top 25 best paid apps in fake bundles (“Top 10 best apps for $25”). They then go […]
How the scam works: You receive an e-mail from somebody you don’t know. It seems that it was intended for someone else, but was accidentally sent to you. The message reads: “Thanks a lot Paul! I started 2 hours ago, so far so good. I made $285 and stopped for today. You have no idea […]
How the scam works: In most countries cigarettes can’t be sold to children. However, there are minors who think they can cheat the system by buying the cigarettes online. That’s where scammers set up their traps, especially advertising on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, where the “market” is rich. They create fake websites […]
How the Online Dating Background Scam Works: You are registered on an online dating website and find somebody you like. You start talking and it seems like everything is going well, but somehow you still have some reserves: maybe something sounds fishy or you just want to be extra careful. That's when you might come across […]
Online Dating: How the New in Town Scam Works: You get the following email or a Facebook message with the subject “New in Town”: “Hi! My name is Jennifer Smith. I'm new in town. I just moved here from Colorado. I saw that we live close to each other and I was hoping to chat, or […]
How the scam works: You are attracted by great online prices for “exquisite” brand name designer products. While you are filling out the online purchase form, you are required to take a quick survey in order to end the transaction. Pushing the “Continue” button or the “OK” button (agreeing to take the survey) means you […]
How the scam works: After every major disaster, such as the Connecticut shooting, Hurricane Sandy, Japanese Tsunami, the Chilean earthquake, Katrina, etc, several scammers set up funds for worldwide donations, claiming to be charitable organizations. Using similar names to the real ones (United Nations, Red Cross, United Way), the crooks create viral campaigns on social […]
How the scam works: (with video below) You use your e-mail a lot for sending and receiving attachments, so you're not surprised if the limit is sometimes reached. However, watch out for an e-mail that is warning you about your e-mail exceeding its maximum limit and sounds like this: "Dear Subscriber, this is to inform you […]
How the scam works: (with video below) Facebook credits are a virtual currency you can use to buy virtual goods for games or apps against Facebook platforms that accept payments. Facebook credits can be purchased from within an app, PayPal, mobile phone, etc. If you were to purchase 1,000 Facebook credits, you would have to pay $1,000. […]
Facebook Freebie: How the Scam Works, From Samsung Galaxy M01 (with video below) There are several things scammers promise for free to Facebook users, claiming the website's generosity or new partnerships. The latest is the Facebook 16th Anniversary scam, which promises you any of the items listed below (the most recent, as per the 14-year […]
How the scam works: (with video below) Millions of people eat at McDonald's, Pizza Hut, or Wendy's every day – it's a fact. Reproducing the brands' graphics, scammers advertise free meals at the most popular fast-food chains in the world. The recipients of the message have to open the coupon attached to the email and […]
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