Social Media Scams

Social media scams use profiles, posts, messages, advertisements, and marketplaces to obtain money or personal information.

Common forms

• Fake profiles of friends, relatives, celebrities, charities, or businesses.
• Marketplace listings, fake prizes, and investment offers.
• Fake employment offers and malicious links on professional networks.

Stay safe

• Keep profiles private and limit public personal details such as location, birth date, and phone number.
• Enable multi-factor authentication and use unique passwords.
• Verify unexpected contacts; reverse-search profile images when appropriate.
• Never send money, sensitive information, or intimate media to someone known only online.