Lizzy Arumugam of the Newcastle SAPS Corporate Communications Department has urged the public to take extra care when using social media platforms.

Residents are encouraged to recognise common scams, red flags, and warning signs to avoid falling victim to online fraudsters.

Arumugam also advises users to protect personal information, verify suspicious messages or links, and report any fraudulent activity immediately.

Keeping this in mind, she urges the public to take precautionary measures to ensure the safe usage of social media by recognising common social media scams, red flags and warning signs, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you are scammed.

Common social media scams

• Impersonation: Fraudsters create fake profiles using stolen names, photos, and information to impersonate friends, family, or well-known figures. They use these accounts to send malicious links, distribute spam, or trick contacts into sending them money.
• Investment scams: Scammers use social media posts and direct messages to lure people into get-rich-quick schemes, including fake cryptocurrency trading. They often use fake videos featuring public figures to lend legitimacy to their fraud.
• Giveaway and lottery scams: These promotions promise large prizes, but victims are told they must first pay a fee to release their winnings; however, the prize never materialises.
• Online shopping scams: Criminals set up fake stores, often with significant discounts, to steal personal and financial information. Scams on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace are also common, where buyers are robbed after meeting to exchange goods.
• Romance scams: Scammers build emotional connections with victims over time, eventually asking them for money for a fabricated crisis.
  Job offer scams: Fake job postings, especially on professional networks such as LinkedIn, are used to steal personal information or extort money for non-existent training or sign-on bonuses.

Red flags and warning signs

• Unsolicited messages or requests: Be highly suspicious of any unexpected messages from strangers, or even from existing friends asking for money or sharing links.
• Pressure to act quickly: Scammers create a sense of urgency, claiming an opportunity is limited or a deadline is fast approaching, to prevent victims from thinking clearly.
• Unusual payment methods: Be wary if you are asked to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, as these methods are difficult to trace. Legitimate transactions almost never require this.
• Links to suspicious sites: Hover over a link to see its full uniform resource locator (URL) before clicking. Watch out for typos, altered characters, or mismatched addresses.
• Poor spelling and grammar: Messages with multiple typing errors or awkward language can indicate a scam.
• Fake profiles: Look for newly created profiles with few posts of followers, or ones with stolen pictures and stock photos.
• Too-good-to-be-true offers: If an investment guarantees high, unrealistic returns with little to no risk, it is likely a scam.

How to protect yourself

• Use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA): Secure your accounts with unique passwords and enable MFA to prevent unauthorised access, even if a scammer obtains your password.
• Verify identities: If a friend sends a suspicious message, contact them on a different platform (WhatsApp or calling them) to confirm it is really them.
• Strengthen your privacy settings: Limit who can see your personal information and posts by adjusting your social media privacy settings.
• Do not click on suspicious links: Never click on links in unsolicited messages, even if they appear to be from a friend. Go directly to the company’s official website instead.
  
• Be cautious with third-party apps: Limit which third-party apps have access to your social media accounts and regularly review and revoke unnecessary permissions.

What to do if you are scammed

• Cease all contact: Immediately stop all communication with the scammer.
•  Gather evidence: Take screenshots of the fake profile, messages, and any other relevant interactions.
• Report the account: Report the fraudulent profile to the social media platform itself. This helps protect others from the scammer.
• Contact authorities: Report the incident, including cybercrimes and fraud, to the SAPS.
• Alert your network: If your account was hacked or impersonated, warn your friends and followers so they do not fall victim to the same scam.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel