Scammers and fraudsters are coming up with new tricks to target users and steal digital accounts and money. Along with the Digital Arrest scam and the Fake Wedding Invite scam on WhatsApp, these scammers are also using all popular social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram to defraud their victims. Another scam targeting job seekers and young people is the work-from-home scam. Two women in Panchkula fell victim to online frauds, losing Rs 48,000 and Rs 52,000 respectively through work-from-home scams.
According to a report from The Times Of India, a woman named Priya Goyal was tricked into losing Rs 48,000 by online scammers after being offered a work-from-home job. Goyal clicked on an Instagram ad and contacted a WhatsApp number. She was then messaged by a woman who gave her a Telegram link. The woman asked Priya to like some pictures and she earned Rs 360. However, the woman then asked Priya to pay more money.
In another case, Kiran Kaushik, a resident of Sector 11, Panchkula, was duped of Rs 4.9 lakh in a fake Amazon mobile application scam. She saw a part-time job advertisement on Instagram. Intrigued, she contacted the number provided in the ad, which eventually led her to download an app that appeared to be affiliated with the e-commerce company Amazon.
To deal with such online scams on Meta-owned social media platforms, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned tech giant has shut down over two million accounts linked to fraudulent activities. These accounts were from countries like the UAE, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Meta’s new initiative is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to stop ‘pig butchering’ scams. The ‘pig butchering’ scam is designed to defraud victims worldwide. These scams are typically executed through social media, text messages, dating platforms, and crypto apps.
How to avoid scams on Facebook and Instagram
– Don't trust messages demanding money, offering gifts or threatening to delete or ban your account.
– Emails from Instagram or Facebook about your account will only come from @mail.instagram.com or @facebookmail.com.
– You may also receive official emails from @global.metamail.com and @metamail.com.
Don't click suspicious links
– If you get a suspicious email or message claiming to be from Meta, don't click any links or attachments.
Don't respond to these emails
– Don't answer messages asking for your password, social security number, or credit card information.
Get alerts
-Turn on two-factor authentication for additional account security.