What are the most common scams on Instagram?

With more than 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one of the four most popular social platforms in the world. However, these figures also attract cybercriminals, who see this number of users as potential targets of attack.

In the field of sales, Instagram has become one of the favorite spaces for users to make, buy or access products. This situation has made cybercriminals find a new place to act fraudulently in this medium.

Beyond allowing users to follow acquaintances, celebrities and influencers To view its content, Instagram also allows brands to advertise their products and even functions as a store.

However, some ads can become scams so it is important to be vigilant. If you’ve never heard of the brand or vendor, while it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with a scam, it should be a reason to do a little more research on the company. Ads can try to sell high-quality products at rock-bottom prices; and that should arouse suspicion. By risking buying something, you may never eventually receive it, get a substandard product, or something that was not what was ordered.

Specialists at the security firm ESET recommend conducting a Google search, looking for reviews of vendors and the products they offer, and seeing if anything comes up that arouses suspicion. It is highly unlikely to find anything directly on their site as they can moderate comments. It is also recommended that you be on the lookout for fake reviews. These are often riddled with spelling errors and will likely describe the company and its products in superlative terms.

“Social networks try to moderate their platforms and keep them as clean as possible, however, it is still difficult to crack down on scammers who are determined to deceive victims in search of sensitive data and their money. What we can highlight as positive about this scenario is that all these deceptions can be detected a mile away just by maintaining a healthy dose of doubt and staying alert. Therefore, the best advice is the one that has been repeated countless times: do not trust blindly and always verify. Beware of unsolicited emails, if something seems out of place, do your research, and if something seems too good to be true, it is most likely a scam. In addition, having a security solution in the devices and keeping the systems updated ”, concludes Gutiérrez Amaya, from ESET.

In this regard, the Kaspersky company recommends several strategies to avoid these scams.

If a message asks to “give” something, you have to be careful. Fraud often mentions bank accounts, the sale of something, or the request for other personal information. This could include entering an account or being asked to make a payment for something. If you have received any suspicious direct messages or emails, please proceed with caution.

Never use an access link through a message. Always use an official URL and log in directly to your accounts. This is especially important for email fraud. phishing and Instagram.

Enabling two-factor authentication allows one more point of control for account logins, aside from the password. This checkpoint requires the person logging in to verify it with another account or device. It can include text messages, email, in-app prompts, biometrics, or even a physical USB stick.

Some other models of scams that are possible to find in this social network are: phishing, where the objective is to trick the user into stealing their personal information and access credentials. This information is then used by cybercriminals in various illegal activities, such as identity theft or sale in clandestine markets of the dark web.

The most common strategies to which the attacks of phishing They include evoking a sense of urgency by sending fraudulent emails claiming that someone without authorization may have logged into an account. The email usually includes a fake password reset link.

Once the user clicks they are directed to a fake Instagram login page that will collect the credentials and allow the scammers to access the account.

Alternatively, cybercriminals can hint that you are in trouble due to a copyright violation and that you need to clarify the situation. To do this, you will need to click on a link and fill out a form. However, if you do, you will be redirected to another fake login page. It is worth clarifying that the phishing Don’t just stick to emails; Sometimes scammers will try to impersonate an Instagram support agent and contact you through direct messages.

“To avoid being a victim of phishing, from ESET they advise paying attention to certain elements that often give a clue that it may be a false message, such as grammatical errors or the use of generic greetings instead of personalized ones “, comments Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, head of the Research Laboratory from ESET Latin America.

There is also the attack of cloned accounts. It is important to keep in mind that this type of strategy is not limited only to popular actors, singers or athletes. Cybercriminals can also clone accounts of any Instagram user. They will then go on to impersonate the people behind the accounts they cloned and try to communicate with their friends and / or followers.

The deception is based on making potential victims believe that the legitimate account they have cloned has been stolen and that “cybercriminals” have cleaned the account owner’s bank accounts.

“The fastest way to check if you have been contacted from a cloned account is to contact that person through an alternative method, such as a phone call. To keep your own accounts safe, it is recommended to set your profile as private, as well as to set certain limits on who you allow to follow ”, adds the ESET specialist.

In short, the strategies of cybercriminals are very varied and evolve every day to surprise users in more creative ways. The important thing is to be attentive to any activity that may seem fraudulent and act carefully when handling personal information that is currently one of the most valued assets in the digital world. (I)