Types of scams

While social media sites allow us to communicate with others, they can also be dangerous if we aren't
careful. Scammers abound on these social media platforms. Scams are popular, but scammers use a
variety of techniques. Many of us have come to rely on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram,
and Twitter to stay in touch, keep up with the news, and even shop. However, as their popularity grows,
so does the possibility of fraud. These forms of scams are becoming more complex, and they often use
brand names and misleading terms and conditions to make them look legitimate. To stop scams and
frauds, we must remain vigilant.

Here, I'll go through some of the most popular social media scams that take place on various social
media platforms.

1. Imposter scams

Imposter scammers pose as someone you know or trust, such as a sheriff, a local, state, or federal
government employee, or a charity organization, to persuade you to send money. Keep in mind the
caller ID can be faked. Before giving any money, you can always call the company or government
department and ask if the individual works for them. Imposters can ask you to buy a gift card or wire
money in order to get you to pay them. Scammers are still trying to take your money when they say you
have to pay this way. Never give money to people you don't know – or to people you're not sure are
who they claim to be.

2. Ecommerce Scams

Every type of fraud that occurs on an ecommerce platform is referred to as ecommerce fraud.
Ecommerce fraud includes the use of a stolen or fraudulent credit card, the use of a false identity, and
affiliate fraud ads. When a customer commits fraud on your online store, you, as the merchant, bear the
expense, which has a negative impact on your sales.

3. Quizzes And Other Applications

Quizzes like "Which celebrity do you imitate the most?" can be found on Facebook and Twitter. “What is
your zodiac sign?” or “Click here to find out what the future holds.” You're giving a third-party developer
access to your profile details any time you click on something like this. Sometimes, these are deceptive
marketing firms that would collect your personal information and sell it to third parties.
 4. Online shopping, classified and auction scams

Scammers enjoy looking for victims on the internet. A popular scam that targets online shoppers is not
receiving what you paid for. When a scammer sells a product, he or she will either submit a defective or
low-quality object or nothing at all. They can also pose as a salesperson in order to obtain your credit
card or bank account information. Scams like this can be found on legitimate online classified sites as
well. An online auction scam involves a scammer claiming that you have a second chance to buy an item
that you placed a bid on because the winner has pulled out. The scammer will ask you to pay outside of
the auction site’s secure payment facility. If you do, your money will be lost and the auction site will not
be able to help you.

5. Crypto currency scam

Scammers are always coming up with new ways to steal your cryptocurrency. Anyone who insists on
paying in cryptocurrency is a sure sign of a con. Anyone who suggests paying by wire transfer, gift card,
or cryptocurrency is a scammer. Of course, once you've paid, there's almost no chance of getting your
money back. This is exactly what the scammers hope for.

6. Clickbait

Attackers can put a lot of thought into creating appealing social media Clickbait campaigns. A catchy
headline, an enticing video, a popular news storey — anything to entice people to click on a malicious
connection. When a victim clicks the connection, they are prompted to sign in again, accept app
permissions, or be presented with a bogus login screen to verify their details. The attackers have your
credentials and access to your passwords and profile information after you sign in.

Impacts and Harms of Scams

Responses indicate that falling victim to a scam may have negative impacts on individuals' mental
wellbeing, self-esteem and relationships with others. Data analysis also identified that fear of
victimization can also affect individuals, resulting in worry, anxiety and maladaptive coping strategies. In
addition to the grief of loss, scam victims may also suffer the pain of rejection by family and friends, who
may believe it is the victim's fault that “they should have known better “and so on. Anxiety like grief, can
lead to problems with thinking, reasoning and maintaining focus.