We all know that we have to be careful on social media. From not posting too much information about when we are going to be away from home, to being extra careful when clicking on links, people have a good idea what to look for. At WCU we also know that fraudsters are getting creative in the ways they try to fool people, so when we saw the below guidance from one of our partners we thought it was a good thing to pass along to our members. Below are three common ways people get tricked into providing information to malicious actors.
Profile cloning Scammers are becoming more sophisticated all the time. They know that their victims aren’t very likely to respond to correspondence from a suspicious or unknown source. But with profile cloning, a fraudster creates a look-a-like Facebook profile for someone you know, and starts sending messages to his or her friends (i.e., you). Typically, the scam will be a bogus offer, promising easy money in exchange for personal info.
Malicious messaging Be careful of messages saying you were mentioned in a comment by a friend. If they require you to click a link to see the comment, avoid it! This is a classic phishing scam. Once you click the link, you will automatically download a Trojan horse that infects your browser and steals your Facebook login credentials. Once the hackers invade your computer, they can change your profile settings, take your personal info, and spread more nasty links to your Facebook friends.
Support scam Many businesses now offer customer support through social media. Never missing an opportunity to swindle people, scammers have started targeting this trend. To spot a real page from a fake one, visit the company’s official website and click their Facebook icon. If you’re directed to a secure page, you’re safe. However, if you’re still unsure, just call or email the company instead.
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