Facebook scams, don’t be fooled

With around 2.9 billion monthly users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites. So it’s no surprise that this large audience is a target for scams and fraudulent activity. There are some common tricks that cyber criminals like to use. Take a look and see if you have come across any.

1 Giveaways

A page is created to lure you in by making you think you’re in with a chance of winning something by simply sharing, liking or commenting on a post. This could be a holiday, concert tickets or the latest gadget. They usually emulate legitimate competitions, so it makes it difficult to know what’s real and what’s not. After you’ve engaged with the post, you may be contacted and asked to share more details, complete a survey, or visit another website. All of which could lead to loss of sensitive data or downloading something malicious. Be wary if it looks too good to be true!

2 Cloning an account

The cybercriminal will make a duplicate account of your own and attempt to impersonate you. They may try to scam your friends and contacts, send them links or target them in phishing attacks. Search your own name in Facebook and see what comes up.

3 Phishing

Cyber criminals will try to make you believe that they are Facebook and contact you saying that someone has tried to access your account, or that your password has been reset. The link to check and reset the password will not be legitimate and will harvest any information you enter. If you’re unsure – log into your own account and check the settings yourself.

4 Live recordings

Cybercriminals often use snippets of real live videos that have been created by celebrities. They edit these videos to draw people in and entice them to join in and click, enter a competition and put in their details. Be cautious of any live streams from groups you’re not following.

5 Cryptocurrency fraud

We’ve seen criminals taking advantage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Look out for donation pages and websites that ask for funds in cryptocurrencies. Some of these are genuine but many are not. They often promise high returns through cryptocurrency investing or mining. They may use fake celebrity endorsements and look very professional. There is no quick win – for you or for Ukrainian refugees. The scammers just want your personal details. Don’t rush into a decision and take steps to check and verify any firm before investing.

The final word

We recommend pausing and thinking before clicking on anything on Facebook that you aren’t 100% sure about. For more advice about what to do if you are concerned about online scamming, contact your Datcom team on solutions@datcom.co.uk