Social network platforms are gaining much popularity and is making users more curious as well as adventurous. And this is exactly what phishers and scammers are looking for! Here we bring to you top 12 scams watch out for!
1. The 419 scam
Scammers hack into Facebook accounts and pretend to be traveling and stranded somewhere without any money. The ruse, called a 419 scam, usually begins an IM on Facebook to someone in the victim’s network pleading for help. The scammer claims to have been robbed or hit with another such tragedy, leaving them without any cash or credit cards. This Scam's Info Is Provided By Cyber Elite.They typically ask the target to wire them money for a return ticket home and promise to pay them back upon return.
2. See who viewed your profile!
This scam has been making rounds on Facebook for quite some time now and plays to the user's desire for information about who is checking out their Facebook page.
But the scam usually asks you to allow an application to access your profile, which then typically leads to a fraudulent survey which earns a commission for the spammer. Not only will you be left still wanting to know who is visiting your profile, you've also just shared your information with the shady character who developed the fake application.
3. Dad walks in on daughter …. Embarrassing!
Another example of clickjacking, this scam also promises you something you will likely never actually get. This scam promises a controversial video, but instead ends up leading the Facebook user to an online survey to earn a commission for the spammer.
4. Get a Starbucks gift card!
A free gift card sounds great, except that it will never actually arrive. This scam is a phishing attempt to get users to divulge personal information and even sign them up for expensive services. The gift-card scam takes on new forms each month but there is almost always one going on at any given time. Other common gift-card scams include fake offers from the Cheesecake Factory and Victoria’s Secret.
5. The ‘dislike’ button
Does the idea of having a 'dislike' button excite you? Apparently, it appeals to many and is a successful trick to fool people. The scam appears to allow the user to “enable dislike button.” But, instead, various versions of this trick have run an obfuscated Javascript on the user’s machine or even lead them to a survey scam. It also often spams itself out to other users’ walls.
6. Make thousands working from home!
These usually-bogus offers on Twitter direct the recipient of the tweet to an offer that charges for a “kit” that can help the person get started on making thousands “working right from the comfort of home.” Sounds too good to be true? It’s almost always is a scam. Any job that requires a fee for you to start is going to be fraudulent.
7. Hey someone is spreading terrible rumours about you!
Also seen on Facebook walls, these messages will ask luring questions like “Hey someone is making terrible rumors about you” and then send you to a malicious link that never shows you anything but instead downloads malware onto your computer.
8. Twitter mentions
Like the previous scam, the scammers take advantage of your desire to see who is “mentioning” you on Twitter. The mysterious mentions often come from Twitter followers you don’t know. That’s because they are spammers trying to trap curious users. While it may have your Twitter handle, the link will likely lead you somewhere dangerous.
9. Justin Bieber stabbed!
Fake celebrity news is almost always a sure way to get clicks. The problem is those links are almost always a sure way to get your machine infected with malware or to find yourself involved in a phishing attempt. Other recent celebrity news hoaxes have included promises of Osama Bin Laden’s death video and claims that 90’s rapper Vanilla Ice had died.
10. Your account has been cancelled.
This scam tries to scare you into thinking your social media account has been cancelled without your consent. But these emails, which appear to legitimately be coming from the supposed source, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, are actually a phishing attempt to get you to hand over your username and password. Any time you want to verify any information about an account, go directly to the site. Do NOT trust a link that claims it will take you there.
11. Facebook will start charging members!
Another ruse that makes round on Facebook every now and then is the urgent call for members to take action against impending plans by Facebook ownership to start charging for site use. The news begins to spread via status updates and often even claims “paste this into your status update so you will not be charged. Facebook will continue to be free for you!” But the move is unnecessary. Facebook has said it has no plans to charge members and the gossip is really just an updated version of a chain letter; generally harmless, but still a nuisance.
12. Tumblr dating game scam
A spam run taking place on Tumblr calls itself the "Tumblr Dating Game." Members receive spam messages that read: "Lol half of your followers are on tumblrdatinggame.com". But the URL in the message took members to a dating website totally unrelated to "Tumblr dating" and instead directed them to an Adult Friend Finder service.
1. The 419 scam
Scammers hack into Facebook accounts and pretend to be traveling and stranded somewhere without any money. The ruse, called a 419 scam, usually begins an IM on Facebook to someone in the victim’s network pleading for help. The scammer claims to have been robbed or hit with another such tragedy, leaving them without any cash or credit cards. This Scam's Info Is Provided By Cyber Elite.They typically ask the target to wire them money for a return ticket home and promise to pay them back upon return.
2. See who viewed your profile!
This scam has been making rounds on Facebook for quite some time now and plays to the user's desire for information about who is checking out their Facebook page.
But the scam usually asks you to allow an application to access your profile, which then typically leads to a fraudulent survey which earns a commission for the spammer. Not only will you be left still wanting to know who is visiting your profile, you've also just shared your information with the shady character who developed the fake application.
3. Dad walks in on daughter …. Embarrassing!
Another example of clickjacking, this scam also promises you something you will likely never actually get. This scam promises a controversial video, but instead ends up leading the Facebook user to an online survey to earn a commission for the spammer.
4. Get a Starbucks gift card!
A free gift card sounds great, except that it will never actually arrive. This scam is a phishing attempt to get users to divulge personal information and even sign them up for expensive services. The gift-card scam takes on new forms each month but there is almost always one going on at any given time. Other common gift-card scams include fake offers from the Cheesecake Factory and Victoria’s Secret.
5. The ‘dislike’ button
Does the idea of having a 'dislike' button excite you? Apparently, it appeals to many and is a successful trick to fool people. The scam appears to allow the user to “enable dislike button.” But, instead, various versions of this trick have run an obfuscated Javascript on the user’s machine or even lead them to a survey scam. It also often spams itself out to other users’ walls.
6. Make thousands working from home!
These usually-bogus offers on Twitter direct the recipient of the tweet to an offer that charges for a “kit” that can help the person get started on making thousands “working right from the comfort of home.” Sounds too good to be true? It’s almost always is a scam. Any job that requires a fee for you to start is going to be fraudulent.
7. Hey someone is spreading terrible rumours about you!
Also seen on Facebook walls, these messages will ask luring questions like “Hey someone is making terrible rumors about you” and then send you to a malicious link that never shows you anything but instead downloads malware onto your computer.
8. Twitter mentions
Like the previous scam, the scammers take advantage of your desire to see who is “mentioning” you on Twitter. The mysterious mentions often come from Twitter followers you don’t know. That’s because they are spammers trying to trap curious users. While it may have your Twitter handle, the link will likely lead you somewhere dangerous.
9. Justin Bieber stabbed!
Fake celebrity news is almost always a sure way to get clicks. The problem is those links are almost always a sure way to get your machine infected with malware or to find yourself involved in a phishing attempt. Other recent celebrity news hoaxes have included promises of Osama Bin Laden’s death video and claims that 90’s rapper Vanilla Ice had died.
10. Your account has been cancelled.
This scam tries to scare you into thinking your social media account has been cancelled without your consent. But these emails, which appear to legitimately be coming from the supposed source, such as Facebook or LinkedIn, are actually a phishing attempt to get you to hand over your username and password. Any time you want to verify any information about an account, go directly to the site. Do NOT trust a link that claims it will take you there.
11. Facebook will start charging members!
Another ruse that makes round on Facebook every now and then is the urgent call for members to take action against impending plans by Facebook ownership to start charging for site use. The news begins to spread via status updates and often even claims “paste this into your status update so you will not be charged. Facebook will continue to be free for you!” But the move is unnecessary. Facebook has said it has no plans to charge members and the gossip is really just an updated version of a chain letter; generally harmless, but still a nuisance.
12. Tumblr dating game scam
A spam run taking place on Tumblr calls itself the "Tumblr Dating Game." Members receive spam messages that read: "Lol half of your followers are on tumblrdatinggame.com". But the URL in the message took members to a dating website totally unrelated to "Tumblr dating" and instead directed them to an Adult Friend Finder service.
