Scam Alert🚨📢:Episode 03: Fake social media accounts

Most of social media scammers always create fake profiles on social media platforms to operate from.

• Impersonation: It may also refer to fake profiles that aim at imitating a real individual or an organization.
• Phishing: Such accounts can send notifications with links that will seek to collect personal information from the targeted users.
• Spreading misinformation: Fake accounts often spread false information, creating confusion.

Signs of fake social media accounts

The following warning signs can tip you off to fake social media accounts:

• Inconsistent profile information: Search for inconsistencies, particularly with the name or the description given in the profile.
• Unusual friend requests or follows: The requests should be taken from accounts with few connections, irregular rhythm of following people, or even accounts without profile pictures or with disabled profiles.
• Generic or stolen profile pictures: To countercheck and make sure that a profile picture is original and not pirated from other persons, one can use Google Images’ reverse search. One of the steps to use image search to find the picture online is to type the hot keywords on the address bar of browsers to get to Google’s image search page. On the search bar, locate the camera icon and click on it then paste the URL of the picture or upload the image. This can indicate to you whether the same photo has been used multiple times or was even pirated and used again.
• Requests for personal information: Criminals will not request your personal details and any organization requires such information to be genuine.

Avoid falling for a fake social media account with these tips:

• Review profile details: Examine some other person’s profile data for discrepancies, for instance, an odd nickname in the matrix or some elements absent.
• Check out their content: Quite often, genuine accounts disseminate useful, valuable information.
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links: First of all, never click a link someone sent you from an account you do not know.
• Update your privacy settings: To regulate the privacy of your information you have to customize the privacy settings that determine who can view or have access to your profile.

See you In the Next Episode…