In today’s social media age, we are more interconnected than ever before. While this can be great for keeping up with loved ones and shedding light on current events, it also opens a new door for scammers.
Last year, annual reported losses from social media scams hit $1.1 billion. Here are the five most common types and our recommendations for protecting yourself, and your business, from them:
- Phishing Scams: Scammers attempt to trick you into revealing personal information by posing as a trustworthy source in an email or message. To avoid these scams, never click on links from unknown sources and always verify the sender’s identity.
- Impersonation Scams: Scammers create fake profiles and impersonate others to deceive and scam others. To avoid these scams, check profiles for authenticity by verifying their information, friends, and photos.
- Giveaway Scams: Scammers promise a prize or giveaway in exchange for personal information or a payment. To avoid these scams, never give out personal information, and only participate in giveaways from reputable sources.
- Investment Scams: Scammers promise high returns on investments, but it is just a trick to steal your money. To avoid these scams, do thorough research before investing, be cautious of unrealistic returns, and don’t fall for pressure tactics.
- Malware Scams: Scammers use social media to spread malicious software that can harm your device or steal personal information. To avoid these scams, don’t download anything from untrusted sources and keep your device’s security software up-to-date.
Our goal at (Company Name) is to keep you safe while you’re scrolling. Speaking of social media, feel free to follow us @[handle] on Facebook and @[handle] on Instagram for more security tips and product updates.
Our goal at Farmhouse Networking is to keep you safe while you’re scrolling. Speaking of social media, feel free to follow us on LinkedIn for more security tips and product updates.