Most common social media scams in 2023 and how to…

Most common social media scams in 2023 and how to avoid them

Cybercriminals are always producing new ways to steal from unsuspecting social media users, often trying to obtain account login credentials, personal information, or bank and credit card information.

Cybersecurity expert Liz Wegerer from VPNOverview has revealed the most common Facebook and Instagram scams of 2023, as well as the best ways to how to avoid them, from phishing scams to fake prizes or job offers.

Facebook is currently the most popular social media app worldwide, so scammers frequently use the platform to target people. Instagram is the fourth most popular, and also a target for cybercriminals offering fake investments and bogus collaborations.

The most common Facebook scams:

Phishing scams: Emails or direct messages with sketchy links that download malware or capture login credentials on spoofed websites.
Romance: Friend requests and direct messages that attempt to create a romantic interest with the goal to steal money from the victim.
Prizes or job offers: Claims designed to obtain personal information or money from the victim, including “You’ve won!” scams.
Quizzes and games: Designed to elicit personal information in the answers through the kind of information people may use to create passwords or answer security questions for their online accounts.
Charity pleas: Creating fake charities to get donations during times of disaster.

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The most common Instagram scams:

Fake investment offers: Scammers promise you a great return for just a small investment.
Bogus brand collaboration requests: Fraudsters offer to pay you for promoting their products then steal your financial data when you provide them.
Selling followers and likes: Ask you to pay a nominal fee in exchange for like or follow packages, but your financial data gets stolen when you send financial details.
Giveaways: Entice you to try and win a prize, but then you will be asked to provide personal information or payment to claim your winnings.
Imposter brand accounts: Sell counterfeit goods (or never deliver the promised goods at all) under the guise of a popular brand to drain your bank account.

How to avoid social media scams:

The first step is to change your privacy settings on your social media account. On Instagram you can change your account to 'private' in the settings, which means that no one can follow you without your approval, and only followers can see your posts, make comments, and send you direct messages. On Facebook, you can hide almost everything else from those outside your friends list through your settings.
You should ensure all your passwords are secure and enable two-factor authentication where you can. With two-factor authentication, whenever anyone logs into your account from a new device you will have to enter a one-time code on your phone so it makes it harder for scammers to access your account.
Look over which third-party apps are connected to your social media accounts. Some apps will request access when you use them and it's easy to lose track of them all. Try and review them regularly and remove anything you don't recognise or looks suspicious, as well as any you no longer use.
Only make purchases from verified brands and accounts when buying something on social media. All legitimate brands on Instagram and Facebook are verified with a blue circle checkmark next to their name.
Decline friend requests from anyone you do not know or recognise, as the more friends or followers you have that you don't know, the higher your risk of being approached with a scam.
Never click on suspicious links or respond to unsolicited messages, even from accounts you recognise. If a friend's account has been hacked, the hackers could send you a message from their account with a scam link and usually a message with compromising information about you or says something like, “OMG! Is this you?” or “Have you seen this yet?!” If you think a friend sent you something, double-check with them before clicking.
Search regularly for accounts with your name, to check if they are impersonating you and to avoid someone cloning your accounts. This only takes a minute and is an easy way to identify and report imposter accounts.

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