5 ways to Steal your money using Social Networks

Social networks have become an integral part of life for many. It is not surprising at all that attackers take advantage of this addiction of ours and annually come up with new ways of fraud. We will tell you about the 5 most common schemes used by criminals operating on the Internet.

According to a study by the non-profit organization Better Business Buraeu (BBB), users have lost about $ 100 billion from illegal actions in social networks over the entire time. Some schemes of scammers are so primitive that they cause confusion, but, nevertheless, they work.

This fraud scheme is extremely simple — a request to add a friend from a stranger comes to you in a social network. You may even have mutual friends with him, which will be an additional factor of trust in the account. You add this user and now the attackers have access to your personal data.

Usually there are not many of them, but information about the place of residence, study, work, hobbies, as well as the names of relatives and friends is quite enough to create a fake page and impersonate you. Now scammers can send messages to your friends asking them to send money. Usually we are talking about very small amounts, so such messages do not cause serious suspicion.

Also, attackers can share a malicious link with your friends, clicking on which they will be subjected to a virus attack. Therefore, an information security specialist does not recommend adding unfamiliar users to friends, even if they are friends of your friends.

Cases when people are asked to borrow money through social networks are very rare, so such requests should be alarming. If someone from your loved ones has received such a message from you, immediately contact the support service of the social network and send them screenshots of the correspondence.

Social networks today are not only a platform for communication, but also an effective way of dating. According to the journal Psychology Today, every fifth acquaintance on the web is now turning into a romantic relationship. According to experts ' forecasts, by 2040, 70% of families will be created using Internet communication.

Users who actively arrange their personal life through social networks often become victims of such a method of deception as cat phishing. Scammers using this method create the most plausible accounts with a lot of friends and photos.

With the help of this account, the attackers get acquainted with their victims and, before getting bogged down in a virtual relationship, they are asked to send a certain amount to solve an urgent problem. They ask for very little money and the victim often meets such a request, like hundreds of other gullible users.

If an experienced crook takes up the case, it is not easy to recognize the catch at all. As a rule, the scammers ' account differs from the real ones by its improbable ideality. In addition, the forcing of events should alert you — the interlocutor from the very first hours of communication pours compliments and confesses his love. At the same time, for absolutely clear reasons, a personal meeting is constantly postponed due to various problems and circumstances.

Everyone has probably received such messages at least once. Usually the letter contains a link and a text that encourages you to click on it, like "Have you seen your photo?". After clicking on the link, the user gets to the site, like two drops of water similar to his favorite social network.

There he is asked to enter his username and password using the form he is familiar with, which is done almost automatically. Needless to say, all this is fake and, thus, scammers get access to the management of the user's page. In that case, if the bank card data is linked to the account, then the money from it will disappear in a matter of minutes.

In order not to fall for the bait of scammers, always check the sender before clicking on the link attached to the letter. The caller's name can be very similar to your friend's name, but differ by one letter. Before entering a username and password on the site, experts recommend carefully checking the URL — it may also differ from the original in a barely noticeable detail.

A message that begins with the tempting words " Congratulations! You have won... " every Internet user probably received. Winning a car, a large amount of money or at least a discount coupon in a popular retail network can not but please.

Moreover, to receive a prize, you do not need to make any special efforts — just click on the link and fill out a form with personal data to receive a prize. Usually they are asked to specify the number of the bank card to which the winnings will be transferred or, at least, passport data for registration of the car.

Further events are quite predictable and not so pleasant at all. Therefore, any message about a win should be taken skeptically — is it possible to win the lottery if you did not participate in it? Moreover, the very fact of a solid win without the slightest effort should alert anyone.

A relative or friend can send a message that will contain a desperate request for help: "Help! I got into a serious accident and urgently need money to close the issue." Is it possible to refuse a person who is in a difficult life situation?

Often scammers play completely low, reporting the death of a loved one. In such cases, a sudden unpleasant news unsettles and forces a person to commit rash actions. At the same time, it is easiest to expose a scam of this type — you just need to call the person on whose behalf the message came and clarify the information.

Social networks are not the only information space where scammers have settled. Also, criminals often try to get hold of other people's money using mobile communication.