Since Instagram officially launched in 2010, over a billion accounts have been opened, with users sharing nearly 100 million photos every day. Instagram’s popularity has skyrocketed since its launch as it is a social network like no other, offering a unique visual touch. contrary to Twitter and Facebook, Instagram was built around the sharing of images and videos. The platform is now a part of people’s daily lives as they use it to communicate and interact with their friends and family. Many businesses and individuals (influencers) are now using the platform to make money in different ways.

Sadly, Instagram isn’t all about happy videos and photos, showing off your new gear, or bragging about where you’re dining with your friends. Unfortunately, its popularity makes it a great place for cybercriminals to carry out large-scale scams. This form of scam has worsened over the past year, with the BBC claiming in January 2021, reports of Instagram fraud increased by 50% since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

As our digital life continues to grow and online scammers learn new tricks, it’s important to know how to identify each of the Instagram scams listed below. Read on beyond scams to find out what to do if you are targeted.

Popular scams and their prevention

According to Instagram, listed below are the eight most common scams to watch out for:

Phishing Scams

Cybercriminals try to access your Instagram account by sending you a suspicious link, either as an Instagram direct message or by email, where you are tricked into entering your username and password on a fake web page. connection. Once the crooks have your login information, they can access your personal information and even change your password to lock you out of your own account.

Instagram’s bogus “warnings” have been rampant lately, like the ones featured below claiming to be official warnings of copyright infringement from Instagram itself:

Always delete message requests like the ones shown above without opening them or clicking any links or buttons they contain.

Fake influencer sponsors

Criminals are taking advantage of the rise of influencers on social media to exploit influencers themselves. These scammers pose as an established brand and offer influencers an advertising offer. If the influencer is unlucky enough to believe that the offers they receive are legitimate, they can hand over their personal bank details in order to be “paid” by the brands.

Love scams

Not all Instagram scams are quick and easy. Some opponents go to great lengths for long periods of time to deceive their victims. Romantic scams This is where cybercriminals enter into bogus online relationships, often chatting with their targets for weeks, months, or even years to gain and then abuse their trust. Once the target is locked, the scammer starts asking for money for a critical emergency, to collect a visa, return from abroad, etc.

Avoid sending money to someone you’ve never met in person. Identify their real self by requesting an immediate selfie with a unique word or phrase you give the other person. If they balk, end the relationship immediately.

Free scams

Instagram influencers often run sponsored giveaways with limited-time promotions in which brands offer free products or services to a few lucky winners. These giveaways are often valid, giving followers the chance to win designer clothes, expensive laptops, AirPods, and more. Unfortunately, scammers will impersonate trusted influencers and notify you that you won the giveaway, but to receive the prize you have to pay a “shipping fee” or provide personal information that they can then use. for illegitimate purposes.

Loan scams

With these scams, cybercriminals send you a direct message offering you a loan with a great interest rate. All you need to do to secure this fantastic deal is pay a deposit. Of course, as soon as you have transferred the funds; the offer, the crook and your money all disappear.

False fraudulent investments

These scams encourage you to invest in a dubious “get-rich-quick” or “cash flipping” scam. Again, when you hand over your money, the scammer disappears and so does your funds. Scammers often pose with expensive cars and designer clothes, claiming they are “homemade” and got “rich” at a young age, in order to convince their victims to invest their money.

If it’s too good to be true, it’s usually too good to be true.

Job scams

Scammers use the lure of what seems like an amazing job to trick you into sharing personal information, possibly details like a home address, phone number, social security number, passport information, and more. immigration, and scans of identity documents such as your driving. licenses. These scammers are diligent even during the job interview itself to lend credibility to the scam.

Criminals are not asking for your personal data to screen you for a job, they are looking for your information so that they can commit what is called identity theft, where they use your contact details to apply for loans, credit cards and more on your behalf.

Credit card fraud

Credit card fraud often begins with an innocent-looking social media post offering “fast cash”, such as a contest that offers a huge reward. Click on the embedded link and you will be asked for your credit card information or online banking credentials. Once scammers have successfully stolen enough of your financial information, they will use your card details to make online purchases.

What if you are targeted?

Here are CyberHoot’s top five tips for staying safe on Instagram:

• Configure two-factor authentication (2FA). Two-factor authentication is the silver bullet (or almost) for all online Internet accounts. This prevents your Instagram account from being hacked if you accidentally enter credentials on a hacker’s fake website. The second factor cannot be easily stolen by protecting your account long enough to change the password of your Instagram (or any other account). Use 2FA on everything! Watch a one-minute video below to find out how.
• Choose the right one Passwords. Always use unique passwords longer than 14 characters for each site you use and store them in a safe password manager. If you think you gave your password on a fake site, change it as soon as possible before the thieves do.
• Don’t share too much. Even though it seems to be common to share much of your life on Instagram these days, you don’t have to give it all up on yourself. Also, think about who or what is in the background of your photos before uploading them.
• Stay alert. If an account or message seems suspicious to you, do not interact with or reply to the account and do not click on any links it sends you.
• Remember to set your account to private. If you’re not trying to be an influencer that everyone can see, and you’re using Instagram more as a messaging platform to stay in touch with your close friends than as a way to tell the world about yourself, you may want to make your account private. Only your subscribers will be able to see your photos and videos. Regularly review your subscriber list and launch people you don’t recognize or want to follow you no longer.

Source:

NakedSecurity – Sophos

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