Social media is still a hotbed for scams
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New research has found that nearly half (47%) of social media users have fallen victim to some form of social media shopping scam, and they haven’t fared much better against other common frauds.
A report of Atlas VPN (opens in new tab)discussing digital marketing company GoodFirms (opens in new tab)This is evident from a survey among 560 social media users phishing links (36.7% admitted to falling for them), gift card scams (also 36.7%), “help” scams (33.3%) and fake job postings (30%) are among the most effective scams, and there are many more on the list.
As Atlas points out, the techniques can change between scams (a phishing link is a largely automated process while a romance scam involves direct contact with a threat actor), but the motives remain the same: stealing money, which can also mean data. .
Prevent scams online
As the world rushes online to take advantage of the best Black Friday offers (such as ours on standing desks), the scourge of scams is unlikely to subside any time soon. The only answer, it seems, is to train rabid shoppers to become savvy customers.
With its report, Atlas VPN gave their best tips for staying safe online. Among them is the question of whether a deal is too good to be true. This will always be an ever reliable tip for those who are worried about getting scammed online. Technology evolves, but critical thinking skills are an essential constant.
As part of this, it recommends taking a close look at any website link or profile to check its veracity, noting that a company’s social media or web page should look professional and have perfect spelling and grammar.
This is true, but it’s worth adding that it’s always wise to inspect a genuine web address, if you’re in any doubt about where it leads, before clicking on it. Atlas VPN suggests shopping from well-known brands, but you may have been sent a link to a site pretending to be that brand, with a very subtle typo in the web address.
This is also the case for mobile shopping apps. Scam apps can pay for a higher ranking in the listings for a particular keyword than the legitimate app you’re probably looking for. Take a moment to compare what you’re looking at with what you’re looking for, and don’t be afraid to scroll.
Atlas VPN naturally recommends using a VPN service if you use public Wi-Fi for shopping, although we recommend waiting until you get home whenever possible.
It also points out the importance of randomness generate passwords for each account you maintain online and store it in a password manager.
This can be cumbersome, but if you do fall victim to a scam, you reduce the risk to your data much more than making your password, er, “password”.