After the big malware incident, “WannaCry (ransomware),” it has come to my attention that everyone should not only install an antivirus or antimalware program but should also be more cautious at what they’re engaging at. And one of the most common things you should be aware of that are just as vile as any malicious program is scams. That is why it would be a pleasure to provide you with the three most common social media money scams. There are still hundreds of people that fall for these fraudulent acts each day around the world. That’s simply because they’re innocently unaware of it.
[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@1alexkhan”]Know the three most common money scams on social media to make sure you avoid it. Read here:[/tweetthis]
Three of the Most Common Social Media Money Scams
The “Love” Scam
Funny name for it but a lot of people fall victim to such act. The idea is that a person will add you on social media – usually the opposite sex and lives outside your country – and will simply befriend you. They typically target people who are single in their thirties or forties (some a lot older) who are quite having a difficult time searching for the love of their life.
After a few chat here and there, sending romantic messages and trying to win your heart, they will then provide you with a situation where they’d want to meet you in person. However, they do not have enough means to do that. At that moment, they will then ask/borrow money from you for their flight ticket or visa. After they get what they want, they simply block you and that will be the end of it.
Donation Scams
The next scam is particularly common from time to time. They appear usually from fake personality pages (so, avoid following pages that are not verified or labelled as the official page for actors/actress and the likes). These pages will constantly post about poor people around the world to gain sympathy. Once they got a good number of followers and likes, they will then usually post a link that will ask for you to donate money. Or they will just message it to you directly.
The link will lead to a suspicious website without proper content, practically just a blog site that was poorly designed or developed. Once you’re on this page, the best thing to do is just leave. Remember, the only legit donation sites you can trust are from official government or reputable charity websites. These legit sites will have tons of photos and videos to where your money is going to go. So, always search on Google before sending cash, or, for the best, only follow pages that are verified or official when it comes to famous personalities.
You “Won” Something Scam
Last but not the least in terms of social media money scams is lottery or winning something scam. Like donation scams where they create fraudulent pages, this scam, too, appears in the form of an official organization page that’s fake. They will then reach out to people or will post something that will ask everyone to like, share, comment, and message the page to get a chance of winning something.
Once you message them, they will instantly tell you that you’ve won. However, you need to give them some valuable information before you can claim the prize. Some of that info are your address and bank details.
Overall, any page or person that will ask you for money or any crucial information should be ignored or reported.