How to avoid Instagram scams, social media scammers lurking the cyberspace
Despite the efforts of social media companies to keep platforms safe for social media users, there are still scammers out there seeking either sensitive personal data or money.
Catfish
The most widespread form of scam on both dating apps and social media is the “romance scam” or catfish where the perpetrator poses as someone else in order to extract sums of money. This usually happens when the abuser has gained the trust of the victim. Usually,the fraudster asks for money to overcome a health problem or to buy a plane ticket so that they can meet in person. In 2020 in the US alone, 304 million worth of romantic scams were reported.
How to avoid them
First of all, the main thing is to avoid contact with people you don’t know personally. But in case you are seeking new acquaintances through social media there are ways to cross-check if the person behind the photos is a scammer. Notice if he systematically avoids video calls, if he cancels appointments without any serious excuse, or even if he finds excuses not to be with you in person at all. If you come across any of the above and you get suspicious then you can do a reverse image search on google and see if he really is who he says he is.
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Author: Pc.gr
The World of Technology
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