Your personal information is valuable to criminals. Protecting yourself from scams also means keeping your personal information safe and secure.
How does it work?
Even if your social media accounts are set to ‘private’ and properly secured, or if you exercise caution and do not share much information within your profiles (images, videos, status updates, etc.), scammers use different techniques to trick you into giving away your personal data (name, email, password, credit card number, etc.), information they can then use to steal your identity.
Your personal data can help scammers to:
- Make unauthorized purchases using your credit card, open bank accounts, sign up for phone contracts, or create social media profiles.
- Apply for loans.
- Sell your personal information to other scammers.
- Conduct illegal business in your name.
Many crimes follow a similar pattern; some classic examples include:
- Twishing (a combination of the words Twitter and phishing) is the act of sending a message to a Twitter user to entice them to visit a webpage. If the user logs into the fake page, the criminal obtains their account information (username and password).
- Who viewed your social media profile? Such a service will request access to your profile. It will then direct you to a fraudulent survey, prompting you to share your personal information. The hacker will earn a commission each time someone completes the survey. You will never discover who was responsible.
- “Is that you in this video?” Clicking on these videos will lead you to a survey where the hacker earns money. It could also end up infecting you with a virus.
- “Your account has been canceled,” “confirm your email account.” Such scams aim to get you to provide private information and account details.
- Gift card scams and fake luxury brand offers. These scams aim to get users to provide personal information or sign up for luxury activities. They change monthly and sound very appealing: the requested service or product will never arrive.
- Miracle product, free trials! This format uses free sample offers, fake confirmations, and surveys to trick you into paying for products and subscriptions you don’t know you’re paying for (e.g., duplicate shipping costs).
- “Earn a lot of money working from home.” Any job that requires you to pay to start working is likely fake. These ads are found on social media and direct you to an offer to buy a kit that will help you start earning thousands of euros. They may ask for many personal details, including your tax ID, copies of your passport, or driver’s license. Some job offers may be fronts for illegal money laundering activities, asking you to receive payments into your bank account for commissions and then transfer the money to a foreign company. You would be acting as a money mule for criminals, which is a crime.
- I need help! An impostor impersonating a relative with an urgent need for money contacts you via social media. The scammer will express distress and ask you to send cash. They might also contact you by phone or email.
What Can You Do?
- When you want to check information about a social media account, go directly to the page; do not rely on a link that appears to take you there.
- Be cautious with the information and images you share on social media. Scammers can use it to create a fake identity or target you with a scam.
- Review your privacy and security settings on each social media account. Take the time to understand exactly what your profile shows the public about you.
- Research the product or job offer online to see what others are saying; you can include words like “complaint” or “scam.”
- Report profiles you suspect are scams to the social media platform. If they follow or befriend you, be sure to block them and cease interaction.
- Regularly check your credit and debit card statements. If you are charged for something you did not order, contact your bank and the card provider.
