Protect Your Identity Alabamians: Beware of Social Media Scams

’Tis the season of scams. Now there is a con that is impacting users of Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

The scam comes to you as a direct message indicating that your verified account has been flagged, and you need to undergo the verification process again, said the Better Business Bureau.

The scam message asks you to click on a link or download a form to start the appeal process and re-verify your account. You may download malware onto your laptop or mobile device if you click.

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If you click, your personal data could be collected without your awareness. If you provide information through forms or respond with requested details, scammers might gain access to your account or exploit your personal information for identity theft purposes.

Social Media – A Scammers Playground

Currently, Facebook is the most widely utilized online social network globally, boasting approximately 3 billion monthly active users as of Q2 2023, according to Statista. While Instagram had 2 billion monthly users there were 672 million TikTok downloads worldwide in 2022.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that in 2022 there were 5.2 million consumer reports. The top 3 categories of those reports were identity theft, imposter scams, and credit bureaus, info furnishers, and report users. Consumers suffered losses amounting to nearly $8.8 billion due to scams and fraud.