NEARLY two thirds of all fraud cases now take place online, with criminals frequently using social networks to snare victims.
Fraudsters will stop at nothing for an easy scam.
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From posing as influencers so they can con fans out of money, to posting fake designer goods, or taking over WhatsApp accounts so they can impersonate ordinary people, crooks are inventing new tricks every day.
In the first half of last year alone, scammers used social media – alongside fake websites, emails, text messages and phone calls – to con their way to a whopping £249million, according to banking body UK Finance.
Victims of social media and email scams are most likely to be under 30, but older victims tend to lose bigger sums, according to analysis of official data by software firm SmartSearch.
Rosie Taylor reveals some of the most common cons, how to avoid them and two victims share their stories.
SCAMMERS often use Facebook to offer discount prices on designer brands and popular gadgets, which are either fakes or non-existent.
They commonly advertise cars, smartphones, computers, bogus holiday rentals and concert tickets, warns industry body UK Finance.
Crooks post ads in Facebook groups, share them via direct message or list them on Facebook Marketplace.
They will often convince customers to pay via bank transfer and then send them sham products — or nothing at all.
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HOW TO STAY SAFE: IF the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
When buying on Facebook Marketplace, collect the items in person and bring a friend.
Only pay when you have it in your hands and are satisfied the item is genuine.
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FRAUDSTERS are infiltrating WhatsApp groups so they can view your phone number to try and take over your account.
They’ll send you messages posing as another group member and start a conversation.
Soon after you’ll get a text from WhatsApp with a six-digit code, which means the fraudster has tried to login using your mobile number.
They’ll claim they’ve sent you their code by accident and ask you to share it.
With this they can log in and lock you out, pretend to be you and scam your contacts as well.
HOW TO STAY SAFE: ALWAYS check with relatives to verify if it’s a scam.
Secure your WhatsApp account — set up two-step verification by tapping Settings >Account > Two-step verification > Enable.
Never share the six-digit verification code.
CRIMINALS create copycat profiles of celebrities or influencers to trick fans into giving away money or personal information.
They also clone the accounts of legitimate companies for the same purpose.
Sonya Dhillon, 34, from London, says scammers targeted followers of her events and marketing firms’ accounts @riccoevents and @ricco.pr when she ran a prize draw offering free World Cup tickets last year.
The fraudsters created accounts with similar names and charged for bonus entries via a PayPal link.
Sonya says: “We were devastated to be used as a channel to target people.”
HOW TO STAY SAFE: BE wary of direct messages claiming to be from someone famous, and never hand over money.
Check usernames are genuine by searching for their account online. If it follows more users than it has followers, that’s a red flag.
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FAKE recruiters target job hunters on the professional networking site by posting bogus vacancies.
LinkedIn says it blocked 22million fake accounts between January and June 2022 alone, but some slip through the net.
Cyber security experts Avira say fake recruiters may ask jobseekers to download software or click a link to “scan” their computer to ensure it meets security requirements for a job.
This could enable scammers to take over the computer and access accounts.
Other tricks include asking jobseekers to pay “application fees” for non-existent jobs.
HOW TO STAY SAFE: A REAL job would never charge you a fee to apply.
Never share personal details with anyone claiming to be a recruiter on LinkedIn.
Look the company up online and call them to check the advert is genuine.
FRAUDSTERS can target Twitter users with tailored scams based on what they share.
Author Rosie Mullender, 45, from Worthing, West Sussex, tweeted a pub to donate to its Christmas lunch for homeless people.
A scammer created a copycat account that looked like the pub’s and said she could donate via a PayPal link.
After she gave £20, Rosie realised it was a scam as the name on the PayPal account didn’t match anyone from the pub.
She says: “I was trying to do a nice thing, I felt stupid I’d fallen for it.”
Paypal says it has advanced tools to keep users’ money safe and takes fraud seriously.
HOW TO STAY SAFE: LIMIT what you share publicly — even names of pets or old hometowns can help hackers guess passwords.
Be wary of donating money to anyone other than registered charities, and use their official websites or fundraising pages.
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TikTok
MANY videos promoting “get rich quick” schemes or dodgy investments are banned from TikTok — but some still slip through the net.
Cyber security expert David Tyler, of CyberMentorDojo.com says: “Content promoting easy ways to make money through foreign exchange markets, cryptocurrency or stocks is likely to be a scam — particularly if someone promises high returns or zero risk, or claims they have insider knowledge.”
TikTok says four out of five videos which violate its policies are removed within 24 hours.
HOW TO STAY SAFE: TO find out if an investment scheme is regulated and genuine, search the Financial Conduct Authority’s database online at register.fca.org.uk.
All investments carry the risk that you might lose money, but unregulated schemes offer little to no protection.
What to watch out for
MILITARY fitness coach Farren Morgan says scammers repeatedly set up fake social media profiles to con his followers out of cash.
The fraudsters copy Farren’s pictures and use similar usernames to his real accounts: @farrenmorgan on Instagram and @thetacticalathlete on TikTok.
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Sometimes, they offer 1-on-1 training sessions and charge his followers hundreds of pounds for tickets.
Imposters acting as Farren, 36, also message his fans to try and forge an online romance to try and dupe them.
One female follower lost £3,000 after being groomed in a series of messages she thought were from him.
The fake Farren even asked to meet in real life, but needed money for flights or the rendezvous couldn’t go ahead.
The real Farren, from West London, who is married, says: “Every time I block one, they reopen more. They even used pictures of me with my baby son in the fake profiles — how low can you go?”
Farren claims fraudsters are setting up around 20 fake accounts a day and he’s had to use a company to get them taken down.
He believes social media platforms need to bring in stricter rules to ensure people must prove their identity before opening an account.
