ANYONE using social media needs to watch out for dangerous scam posts.
A leading cyber-expert has revealed the warning signs that a crook is preying on you.
Cyber-criminals are increasingly sophisticated, so you might not notice their tactics.
But they can strike at any time, even on popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or TikTok.
A successful scam could steal your money, infect your device, or take enough private info to defraud or extort you.
The U.S. Sun spoke to Jamie Akhtar, CEO and co-founder of CyberSmart, who revealed three of the most common types of social media scams to look out for.
By knowing the signs, you can watch out for the scams and avoid becoming a victim.
First up are social engineering scams, which are particularly nefarious.
“These are by far the most common type of social media scam and range from crude to highly sophisticated,” Jamie explained.
“This will usually come in the form of a cybercriminal befriending the victim using a fake profile.
“And either requesting money, coercing them into sharing personal information or sending them spam messages or links that lead to malicious websites.”
The second type of scam is the fake quiz or survey.
“At some point in our lives, we’ve all taken part in a social media quiz or survey,” Jamie said.
“But what is meant as harmless fun can quickly turn nasty in the wrong hands.
“Cybercriminals are increasingly creating fake quizzes to gain victims’ personal information or direct them towards malicious websites to infect their devices.”
And lastly, you need to be wary of fake ads on social media apps.
“Just like quizzes, we’ve all been drawn in by a well-placed social media ad, usually for a product we don’t particularly need,” Jamie noted.
“Cybercriminals know this and have started using ads to send victims to sites that host malware.
“All it takes is for you to click on the wrong ad.”
