Από τα συνηθισμένα εγκλήματα του κυβερνοχώρου, όπως το ηλεκτρικό ψάρεμα (phishing), μέχρι την απάτη με το μπλε εικονίδιο στa προφίλ του Instagram που υποδεικνύει ότι πρόκειται για verified account, ο Amer Owaida, από τη διεθνή εταιρεία cyber securityby ESET, helps us understand the most common tactics scammers use to trick their victims on this popular social platform.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms. Indeed, with more than 1 billion active users, it is one of the four most popular social networks in the world. This number, which also represents potential targets, is sure to attract cybercriminals like honey to bees.
In this article, Amer Owaida, from international cyber security company ESET examines the top 3 most common scams that you might come across as you scroll through Instagram and connect with other users via messages.
1. Suspicious sellers
In addition to allowing users to follow friends, celebrities, and influencers on their content, Instagram also allows companies to advertise their products, and even serves as a product salesperson. Over time, you may see more and more ads for products from supposedly new and emerging companies that sell fashion products or others that close and offer big discounts.
However, not all offers are real, and some of them may turn out to be scams. And this is where your innate curiosity and vigilance come in handy. If you have never heard of the product or company, it does not necessarily mean that it is a scam. However, such an advertisement should make you think and therefore you should do some research, because if you order something, you may, for example, never receive it, or you may receive a lower quality product or something that if nothing else you had not even ordered.
What can you do: Κάντε μια αναζήτηση στο internet. Αναζητήστε κριτικές για τους προμηθευτές και τα προϊόντα που προσφέρουν και δείτε αν υπάρχει κάτι το ύποπτο. Και ενώ είναι εξαιρετικά απίθανο να βρείτε κάτι ύποπτο στη σελίδα της εταιρείας στο internet, σίγουρα εάν κάποιοι έπεσαν θύμα απάτης από αυτήν την εταιρεία όλο και κάποια review θα έχουν γράψει σε κάποιο forum ή σε σελίδες αξιολόγησης. Επίσης, θα πρέπει να έχετε το νου σας στις ψεύτικες αξιολογήσεις. Αυτές πιθανότατα θα είναι γεμάτες ορθογραφικά λάθη, θα προσπαθήσουν να αντικρούσουν τυχόν αρνητικές κριτικές και πιθανότατα θα περιγράφουν την εταιρεία και τα προϊόντα της με διθυραμβικές κριτικές.
2. The attack of the clones
When browsing Instagram, looking for the profile of a famous or a football team that you would like to follow, you will most likely come across many fake profiles that look amazingly like the real ones, which are "clones" of the original account.
However, these "clone" attacks are not limited to popular actors, singers or athletes. Cybercriminals can just as easily clone the profile of ordinary Instagram users. They will then continue to impersonate the people in the cloned profiles and try to communicate with their friends and followers.
The trick is quite simple. The attackers will claim that the legitimate profile they have cloned has been violated, that this is the new profile and that "hackers" have emptied the holder's bank accounts or they will even claim that the profile holder is in financial need for some other reason. A few skillful manipulations (social engineering) on the one hand and with a little luck, the victims are deceived and lose their money because they believe they are helping a dear friend or relative.
And if you think that such a scam technique is not so plausible or that people may not be fooled so easily, you are unfortunately wrong. ESET security expert Jake Moore conducted a successful experiment: by cloning his own profile he was able to prove that this scam is very likely.
What can you do: If you suspect that the profile of your acquaintances is a "clone", the fastest way to check it is to communicate with your friends through an alternative method, such as the phone. On the other hand, to keep your profile safe, you need to lock it in and keep it private and not public, while at the same time being selective about who you allow to follow and who you do not.
3. Verification badge scam
Speaking of cloned profiles, another thing to look out for is profile verification scams, or "verified account scams", if we want to be precise.
What can you do : Look for the blue icon next to a profile, whether it's a celebrity, influencer, or company. “Actually, the blue verification icon next to the profile is a way for people to know that the accounts who follow or search are exactly who they say they are,” reads Instagram's description of the verification badges.
But these are currently the 3 most common ways cybercriminals choose to attack Instagram users.
In the next article, we will look at 3 more common scams you may encounter while scrolling through Instagram and connecting with other users via instant messaging. Until then, stay careful and move safely on social media!
