Social media scams are seeing a sharp uptick these days. The intensity and reach of social media scams have magnified enormously, especially after the pandemic. With the rise of technology, scammers have evolved their devious tactics. From imitating recognized brands, and well-known celebrities to duping on the pretext of dating or providing free gift cards, the deceptive methods of scammers have seen an upward trajectory only. The enticement has caused many users to lose their money; some have even lost their life savings.
This research titled: ‘Social Media Scams – Stunning Statistics and Tips to Protect Yourself‘ identifies and analyzes the prevalent social media scams. The research also explores a few factors practiced currently to prevent falling prey to scams. The survey further uncovers ways to protect oneself from unscrupulous social media scammers. Goodfirms carried out an online survey between 1st June 2022 and 8th June 2022. A total of 560 responses were collected. The survey queried selected social media users across the world on their encounters with scammers, victimization by social media scams, social media usage habits, and related perceptions.
We essentially hand our personal information to criminals daily. Social media is the number one platform used by thieves to collect our personal info. Think about all the data you share on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Zillow, LinkedIn, etc. about your personal life. Where you go, what your kids did, where you work, your hobbies, etc. PERIOD! Because of social media postings, criminals no longer have to work hard.
Steve Tcherchian
CISO and Chief Product Officer at XYPRO
GoodFirms’ survey revealed that 23.3% of users do not hesitate to share their personal life events on social media. 63.3% never share such details on social media, and 13.3% do share but with caution. 13.3% blur the exploitable details before sharing personal events on social media platforms.
