Social Media Scams

Popular Social Media Scams

Popular Scam #1 - Quizzes, Polls, and Games

A popular way for scammers to collect information about you is through social media. The increase of fun quizzes, polls, and games that require you to give away seemingly harmless information (such as the type of your first car or the name of your first pet) provide scammers with personal information as these are very common answers to security questions meant to provide an extra layer of security to your accounts.  By searching your public social media account, a scammer could easily find the answers to your security questions and gain access to your personal accounts.

Popular Scam #2 - Clickbait Articles

Many posts on social media include links to articles. Some of these links are harmless, but others can be links to malware. The scammers will use clickbait article titles hoping you will open the link, where you will be sent to a malicious website that could attempt to download a virus to your computer. Be extra cautious when clicking any links connected to posts on social media.  Shopping through social media can also be highly suspect.  Always go directly to the website using a web browser if you are shopping online.

Popular Scam #3 - Hacked Messages

With a hacked message, a scammer will impersonate a friend and send you a suspicious message. The message will often include a malware link asking you to click on something or the message may ask you to send or wire money to help a friend.  If you receive a message that seems out of character, reach out to your friend personally to verify the validity of the message.

Protect yourself from these social media scams with these tips:

• Review your privacy settings on your social media sites.
• Do your research before buying a product from a post or ad on social media.
• Avoid "friending" people you do not know or trust.
• Do not use the same password for multiple sites.
• Change your password regularly.
• Don't provide personal information to strangers on social media.

Disclaimer: Any reference made in this blog to a specific product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Connected Credit Union of the product, process, or service, or its producer or provider.