7 Simple Ways to Avoid Social Media Scams

Social media scams are a growing problem. From scam messages to fake sweepstakes, scammers are always looking to exploit people’s gullibility.

A recent report by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed an alarming fact: more than 690,000 Americans fell victim to social media scams in 2023 alone, causing total losses of up to $10.02 billion.

This figure shows a significant increase in online fraud activities and causes serious economic losses to users. Particularly worrying is that more than 1/4 of the victims lost money after interacting with ads, messages or posts on social media platforms.

Although Facebook and Instagram are no longer the hottest apps among young people, their influence is undeniable. With more than 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook still holds its position as the world's largest social network.

Meanwhile, Instagram also attracts a huge user base of up to 2 billion people. The widespread popularity of these two platforms, combined with the diversity of users' ages and interests, has created a lucrative "bait" for scammers.

Beware of sophisticated hacker scams

Veteran cybersecurity expert Liz Wegerer from the reputable website VPNOverview.com shared the most common and sophisticated scams that are currently circulating on Facebook and Instagram. Ms. Wegerer provided extremely dangerous warning signs that you need to know to avoid being exploited by scammers for personal information and assets.

1. Online fraud:Hackers often send malicious links via text messages, emails, or social media posts to infect your device with viruses or steal personal information. Never click on any links from strangers, even if they claim to be friends or acquaintances. Always double-check the URL of a link before clicking. If the web address looks strange, is misspelled, or is unrelated to the sender, stop and delete the message.

2. Romance fraud:Romance scammers often create attractive profiles to lure you in. They may flirt and express their feelings quickly and make you believe that they are genuinely interested in you. However, their real goal is to steal your money or personal information. Never share personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, or bank accounts with new friends you meet online. And especially, never send them money in any form, no matter how reasonable the reason they give.

3. Job offer scams:Many scammers use social media to post “easy jobs with high salaries” to collect your personal information. Never interact directly with job postings on Facebook, Zalo or other social media platforms. Find information about the company yourself on the official website and apply directly there. This way, you can protect yourself from scammers who want to take advantage of your personal information to commit bad acts.

4. Cheating through games and tests:Personality tests, quizzes, and online games are often used to collect personal information about you. This information can be used to create strong passwords, but it can also be used by criminals to steal your identity or commit other fraudulent activities. To protect yourself, limit your participation in tests from unknown sources and should lie when answering questions related to important personal information.

5. Charity scams:Scammers often use distressing events such as wars, epidemics, and natural disasters to solicit donations. They may create fake websites or social media accounts to collect donations. Before donating, carefully check the charity's information, find out how long it has been operating, and whether it has a legal license. Don't rush to transfer money, but take the time to verify the information.

6. Fake investment scams:Scammers often lure you into investing in “super profitable” projects that don’t actually exist. They may promise you quick wealth, but in the end, you will lose all your money. Before investing, check the project’s information carefully, find out if the company is legally licensed. Never send money to strangers online without clear evidence of safety.

7. Brand Partnership Scam:Influencers often receive a lot of offers from brands to collaborate. However, not all offers are trustworthy. Many scammers use this opportunity to steal your information or cheat you out of money. Before agreeing to a collaboration, carefully check the brand’s information, ask for official contact information, and do not rush to transfer money or provide personal information.

8. Likes and followers buying scam:Many scammers take advantage of your desire to increase your social media engagement. They will promise to sell you thousands of likes and followers for cheap, but in reality they are stealing your personal and financial information. To protect your accounts and personal information, build your community honestly and never share your bank card details or sensitive personal information with anyone.

7 Simple Ways to Avoid Social Media Scams

Every social media post is a digital footprint that you leave on the internet. Bad guys can collect these footprints to build a detailed profile of you that can be used to commit fraud. To protect yourself, limit the amount of personal information you share on public posts, use social media security features, and update your passwords regularly.

Social media is an integral part of modern life, but it can also pose many risks if not used safely. Let's explore the following 7 ways to enhance the security of your account and protect your personal information from bad guys.

1. Review your privacy settings

In the digital age, social media has become an indispensable part of our lives. However, along with the conveniences it brings, social media also poses many potential privacy risks. Therefore, it is extremely important to re-evaluate privacy settings on these platforms.

For example, on Facebook, you can adjust who can see your friends list, who can search for you, who can send you friend requests, and more. Meanwhile, on Instagram, you can make your account private so that only people you approve can see your posts.

2. Use a password manager and enable multi-factor authentication

A password manager acts as a virtual safe, helping you store all your passwords securely and easily access them. Meanwhile, multi-factor authentication (MFA))is an additional layer of security that requires you to provide another authentication factor in addition to your password, such as an OTP sent to your phone or an authenticator app. With MFA, even if a bad guy gets your password, they won't be able to log into your account.

3. CheckCheck and manage third-party apps:Your social media account may be connected to many third-party apps.athat you don't even remember. These apps can access your personal data, from your friends list to your browsing history.

To protect your personal information, regularly check your list of connected applications. Here you will see a complete list of applications that have been granted access. If any application appears unfamiliar or is no longer used, disconnect it immediately to ensure the safety of your account.

4. Always prioritize purchases from verified accounts

When shopping online, especially on social media platforms, verifying the identity of the seller is extremely important. By only purchasing from accounts that have been verified by the platform, you will reduce the risk of buying counterfeit, substandard or scam goods. The green check mark next to the account name is a trustworthy signal that the account has been verified and complies with the platform's regulations.

5. Search for your name on social media platforms on a regular basis

It’s not uncommon for someone to impersonate you on social media. To prevent potential trouble, regularly search for your name on social media platforms like Facebook, Zalo, and Instagram. With just a few simple steps, you can detect and report fake accounts. Do this regularly, especially when you have a prominent social media activity.

6. Decline friend requests from strangers

Not everyone sends friend requests with good intentions. Be careful and decline friend requests from people you don't know. Accepting too many friend requests from strangers can put you at risk of being harassed or even scammed. Keep your friend list in check to ensure the safety of your account.

7. Ignore suspicious links and unwanted messages

Even if the message comes from someone you know, you should not rush to click on links or download attachments without checking carefully. Many scammers take advantage of this loophole to launch viruses, malware or trick you into giving away personal information.

Always ask yourself questions like “Why is this person sending me this?”, “Is there anything unusual?” before taking any action. Be especially wary of messages that are curious or urgent, like “Did you know this?”, “I need your help urgently!”.

In short, sharing your life on social media is fun, but you need to remember that everything you post can be public. You cannot control who sees your posts and photos. This means that your personal information can be exploited by bad people to perform unwanted actions. Therefore, consider carefully before sharing any information on social media.