Social media is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, as of last year, over 5 billion people worldwide use social media, and that number is steadily growing. It’s a great way to connect with people and to keep up with trends, news, and hobbies and interests. It is also a great tool for learning more about an individual. Law enforcement and private investigators alike use social media to learn more about a person or uncover clues in an investigation.
However, there is another side to social media that is less than ideal. That side is much darker and includes fake profiles, scammers, and generally nefarious intentions. There is a way to enjoy using social media, use it as a tool for finding out information when you need to, while still protecting yourself from scams and individuals with ill-willed intentions.
Using Social Media as an Investigative Tool
It is important to remain vigilant and aware of the various scams circulating. The more you know about these, the more you can avoid becoming a victim.
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Anyone can say whatever they want to about themselves and make it seem realistic on the internet. Unfortunately, criminals and master scam artists are getting more traction because of the internet, social media, AI, and LLM (large language model) platforms that will do the writing for you.
The biggest scams include money and dating scams, which are often still driven by monetary motives. Recent statistics reveal that investment scams, phishing, shopping scams, and fake job offers are among the most common, and, again, all involve money.
How do you protect yourself from falling into these traps? The best way to detect and avoid scammers and fake information is to know what you are looking for and to conduct additional research to verify any data you find.
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Identifying Scams on Social Media
There are a few ways to identify scams that will help you avoid a big headache later. Here are 3 characteristics to consider and research when verifying information on social media.
1. Analyzing Posts
When you are scrolling through social media, don’t just look at a post one-dimensionally. Instead, look at it in layers and take a little time to examine what you see in the content. For example, when you see a post, no matter how basic it may seem, look at who posted it, what the point of the content is, when it was posted, and whether there are links in the post. Before clicking anything, do some research on another app or browser. Next, pay attention to the post’s wording and ask yourself whether it appears legitimate. If you are unsure, use an LLM platform to help you describe the post and see if it generates the same wording as what you are reading on the post.
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Next, look at any photos in the post. Do they look legitimate, genuine, or are they AI-generated? You can easily figure that out by running the photo through a reverse image search. By doing this, you can determine whether that photo is genuine or has been pulled from another site on the internet. Detecting AI-generated photos is a bit trickier. However, pay attention to the small details of the photo and ask yourself whether anything is out of place.
2. Identifying Fake Profiles
This is one of the most important skills you can master to detect and protect yourself from online scammers. Like posts, profiles should be analyzed and scrutinized. Some of the biggest indicators of whether a profile is real include the photo, the person or business information, the type of posts, how often they post, and the friends they are connected to. For instance, if someone’s photo is blurry or generic, it may just mean they are a private person, but it could mean more.
Additionally, if they list anything in the section that allows people to say something about themselves, pay attention to that information. You can use that to verify data. Pay attention to how long someone has been active on that social media platform, and then see how many connections they have and how often they post. For example, if they have been active on social media for 10 years but have posted only 3 generic posts and have 6 friends, they are most likely not real.
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3. Verify Information
The best way to determine whether a profile or its information is real is to verify it elsewhere. This can be done by using public database sites that offer general information, conducting an internet search to see if a business actually exists, checking any phone numbers linked to the profile to see if those are associated with scams, and checking other platforms. For example, LinkedIn verifies the information users post.
Protecting Yourself on Social Media
If you are a victim of a scam, report it to the authorities. However, keep in mind that there are instances when the only step law enforcement can take is to write a report. This is because some online scammers are so crafty that they don’t leave a trace, or the crime cannot be prosecuted due to a lack of evidence or because the scammer is millions of miles away.
There may be scams that involve two parts, such as dating scams that ask for money or job offers. For instance, if you receive a friend request or message from someone you do not know, there are a few ways to determine whether the conversation is real.
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-Check the profile of the person to determine if anything looks off.
-See if you have mutual friends or followers; if you have nothing in common, this is a large red flag.
-If the conversation is overly flirty in nature from the beginning, or if it discusses finances quickly, it is most likely a scam.
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For instance, if you suddenly hear from an attractive person who wants to date you without ever talking to you or meeting you, and they suddenly need money to avoid a bad situation, this is a scam. Far too many people have fallen for someone they think is a real person who wants a relationship, yet the relationship is fueled by money and asking for gifts. Chances are, the person is not who they say they are.
Social Media Scams
You can avoid receiving social media communications by ensuring your account is extremely secure. This includes your posts, how people can connect with you, and privacy settings in general. It is a good idea to change your password regularly and to enable two-step verification on all accounts.
One of the most frightening scams involves a fake voice. This typically occurs when a criminal is trying to extort someone or extract money from them, and they use the voice of someone you know to call you and request funds. If you ever encounter this, do not engage the person, do not give out personal information, and reach out to the person you know the scammer is pretending to be to ensure it isn’t them trying to contact you. These are fueled by AI-generated messages that may sound like someone you know.
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Additional social media scams involving AI include fake job offers. If you see a job posting on social media and it sounds too good to be true, it is. To check out an alleged job to see if it may be legitimate after all, do not click on the social media link. Instead, conduct your own investigation and look up the business entity on LinkedIn, the Better Business Bureau, or see if you can verify the existence of the company another way. Sophisticated criminals will go so far as to create dummy sites and social media accounts to make the job appear real.
Information is King
One good thing is that LinkedIn will verify much of the information someone posts. It is still advised to proceed with caution, but you should be able to find out more about whether a scam has any real validity or not by doing some research. You can also enter a phone number if one is associated with the scam. By doing so, you can verify whether it is real. Many sites list scammer numbers circulating. There are also sites where you can do a reverse phone number lookup to find out more about who is behind that number.
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Remember, a scammer is going to ask you for personal information over a text, phone call, or a messaging application that no actual business entity would ask you for. For instance, if someone reaches out to you asking to pay an alleged debt you owe with gift cards, that is a scam. Other types of scams currently circulating on social media include telling people that an item they ordered could not be processed because they still owe a specific amount of money. Often, these scammers will try to get the victim to pay them via PayPal, their bank account, or a credit card. It is important to avoid engaging with these types of scams and to report them on social media.
By being proactive about your social media security, avoiding scam-like conversations and links, and doing your own investigating, you can avoid scams.
