The most problematic top social media scams of 2023 revealed
Cybercriminals continue to seek new ways to steal data from unsuspecting social media users. Often this is in the form of trying to obtain account login credentials, personal information, or bank and credit card information.
Cybersecurity expert Liz Wegerer from VPNOverview.com has told Digital Journal about the most common Facebook and Instagram scams likely to emerge thorough the course of 2023.
The most common Facebook scams of 2023
Facebook is the most popular social media app worldwide, and, according to Wegerer: “Scammers flock to it to fleece unsuspecting users. With so many active users, fraudsters have a vast pool of potential victims to target.”
The most common ways scammers try are:
- 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, using sites like GoFundMe.
The most common Instagram scams of 2023
Wegerer observes: “More than one billion people use Instagram each month, making it the world’s fourth most popular social media platform. Cybercriminals know this and have several tricks to infiltrate your account and steal your personal information.”
These include:
- 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.
