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Before you take the fun-looking quiz that popped up in your social media feed, think twice. The person holding the answers may be a hacker.
Where people go, hackers are sure to follow. So it’s no surprise hackers have set up shop on social media. This has been the case for years, yet now social media-based crime is on the rise. Since 2021, total reported losses to this type of fraud reached $2.7 billion.
Among these losses are cases of identity theft, where criminals use social media to gather personal information and build profiles of potential victims they can target. Just as we discussed in our recent blog, “Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address?” these bits of information are important pieces in the larger jigsaw puzzle that is your overall identity.
Let’s uncover these scams these crooks use so that you can steer clear and stay safe.
“What’s your spooky Halloween name?” or “What’s your professional wrestler name?” You’ve probably seen a few of those and similar quizzes in your feed where you use the street you grew up on, your birthdate, your favorite song, and maybe the name of a beloved first pet to cook up a silly name or some other result. Of course, these are pieces of personal information, sometimes the answer to commonly used security questions by banks and other financial institutions. (Like, what was the model of your first car?) With this info in hand, a hacker could attempt to gain access to your accounts.
Similarly, scammers will also post surveys with the offer of a gift card to a popular retailer. All you have to do is fork over your personal info. Of course, there’s no gift card coming. Meanwhile, that scammer now has some choice pieces of personal info that they can potentially use against you.
How to avoid them: Simply put, don’t take those quizzes and surveys online.
The list here is long. These include posts and direct messages about phony relief funds, grants, and giveaways—along with bogus business opportunities that run the gamut from thinly veiled pyramid schemes and gifting circles to mystery shopper jobs. What they all have in common is that they’re run by scammers who want your information, money, or both. If this sounds familiar, like those old emails about transferring funds for a prince in some faraway nation, it is. Many of these scams simply made the jump from email to social media platforms.
How to avoid them: Research any offer, business opportunity, or organization that reaches out to you. A good trick is to do a search of the organization’s name plus the term “scam” or “review” or “complaint” to see if anything sketchy comes up.
If there’s one government official that scammers like to use to scare you, it’s the tax collector. These scammers will use social media messaging (and other mediums like emails, texts, and phone calls) to pose as an official who’s either demanding back taxes or offering a refund or credit—all of which are bogus and all of which involve you handing over your personal info, money, or both.
How to avoid them: Delete the message. In the U.S., the IRS and other government agencies will never reach out to you in this way or ask you for your personal information. Likewise, they won’t demand payment via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Only scammers will.
These are far more targeted than the scams listed above because they’re targeted and often rely upon specific information about you and your family. Thanks to social media, scammers can gain access to that info and use it against you. One example is the “grandkid scam” where a hacker impersonates a grandchild and asks a grandparent for money. Similarly, there are family emergency scams where a bad actor sends a message that a family member was in an accident or arrested and needs money quickly. In all, they rely on a phony story that often involves someone close to you who’s in need or trouble.
How to avoid them: Take a deep breath and confirm the situation. Reach out to the person in question or another friend or family member to see if there really is a concern. Don’t jump to pay right away.
This is one of the most targeted attacks of all—the con artist who strikes up an online relationship to bilk a victim out of money. Found everywhere from social media sites to dating apps to online forums, this scam involves creating a phony profile and a phony story to go with it. From there, the scammer will communicate several times a day, perhaps talking about their exotic job in some exotic location. They’ll build trust along the way and eventually ask the victim to wire money or purchase gift cards.
How to avoid them: Bottom line, if someone you’ve never met in person asks you for money online, it’s a good bet that it’s a scam. Don’t do it.
Now with an idea of what the bad actors are up to out there, here’s a quick rundown of things you can do to protect yourself further from the social media scams they’re trying to pull.
Above and beyond what we’ve covered so far, some online protection basics can keep you safer still. Comprehensive online protection software will help you create strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, help you keep from clicking links to malicious sites, and prevent you from downloading malware. Moreover, it can provide you with identity protection services like ours, which keep your personal info private with around-the-clock monitoring of your email addresses and bank accounts with up to $1M of ID theft insurance.
Together, with some good protection and a sharp eye, you can avoid those identity theft scams floating around on social media—and get back to enjoying time spent online with your true family and friends.
The post Quizzes and Other Identity Theft Schemes to Avoid on Social Media appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Social media is part of our social fabric. So much so that over 56% of the global population are social media users to some degree or other. With all that sharing, conversing, and information passing between family and friends, social media can be a distinct digital extension of ourselves—making it important to know how you can protect your social media accounts from hacks and attacks.
Beyond the sheer number of people who’re on social media, there’s also the amount of time we spend on it. People worldwide spend an average of 147 minutes a day on social media. With users in the U.S. spending just over two hours on social media a day and users in the Philippines spending nearly four hours a day, that figure can vary widely. Yet it’s safe to say that a good portion of our day features time scrolling and thumbing through our social media feeds.
Given how much we enjoy and rely on social media, now’s a fine time to give your social media settings and habits a closer look so that you can get the most out of it with less fuss and worry. Whether you’re using Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or whatnot, here are several things you can do that can help keep you safe and secure out there:
Passwords mark square one in your protection, with strong and unique passwords across all your accounts forming primary line of defense. Yet with all the accounts we have floating around, juggling dozens of strong and unique passwords can feel like a task—thus the temptation to use (and re-use) simpler passwords. Hackers love this because one password can be the key to several accounts. Instead, try a password manager that can create those passwords for you and safely store them as well. Comprehensive security software will include one.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you’re doing, saying, and posting, which can help protect your privacy.
Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers could be more than just a stranger, they could be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of cybercrime, or they can be an account designed to spread false information. There are plenty of them too. In fact, in Q3 of 2021 alone, Facebook took action on 1.8 billion fake accounts. Reject such requests.
Nothing says “there’s nobody at home right now” like that post of you on vacation or sharing your location while you’re out on the town. In effect, such posts announce your whereabouts to a broad audience of followers (even a global audience, if you’re not posting privately, as called out above). Consider sharing photos and stories of your adventures once you’ve returned.
It’s a famous saying for a reason. Whether your profile is set to private or if you are using an app with “disappearing” messages and posts (like Snapchat), what you post can indeed be saved and shared again. It’s as simple as taking a screenshot. If you don’t want it out there, forever or otherwise, simply don’t post it.
We’re increasingly accustomed to the warnings about phishing emails, yet phishing attacks happen plenty on social media. The same rules apply. Don’t follow any links you get from strangers by way of instant or direct messengers. And keep your personal information close. Don’t pass out your email, address, or other info as well. Even those so-called “quiz” posts and websites can be ruses designed to steal bits and pieces of personal info that can be used as the basis of an attack.
Sadly, social media can also be a place where people pull a fast one. Get-rich-quick schemes, romance cons, and all kinds of imposters can set up shop in ads, posts, and even direct messages—typically designed to separate you from your personal information, money, or both. This is an entire topic to itself, and you can learn plenty more about quizzes and other identity theft scams to avoid on social media.
Some platforms such as Facebook allow users to review posts that are tagged with their profile names. Check your account settings and give yourself the highest degree of control over how and where your tags are used by others. This will help keep you aware of where you’re being mentioned by others and in what way.
Security software can protect you from clicking on malicious links while on social media while steering you clear of other threats like viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks. It can look out for you as well, by protecting your privacy and monitoring your email, SSN, bank accounts, credit cards, and other personal information. With identity theft a rather commonplace occurrence today, security software is really a must.
Now you can point to a number that shows you just how safe you are with our Protection Score. It’s an industry first, and it works by taking stock of your overall security and grading it on a scale of 0 to 1,000. From there, it calls out any weak spots and then walks you through the steps to shore it up with personalized guidance. This way, you’re always in the know about your security, privacy, and personal identity on social media and practically wherever else your travels take you online.
The post How to Protect Your Social Media Accounts appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As with any major holiday or special occasion, Valentine’s Day is unfortunately not immune to scammers looking for an opportunity to exploit unsuspecting individuals. Their deceitful acts can break hearts and bank accounts. In this article, we spotlight some common Valentine’s Day scams, offer tips on how to protect yourself and navigate this romantic day with confidence and caution.
Valentine’s Day is a time when love is in the air. It’s a time to express your feelings for that special someone in your life, or perhaps even embark on a new romantic journey. But while you’re busy planning that perfect dinner or choosing the ideal gift, there’s an unromantic side to the day that you should be aware of – the potential for scams.
Scammers, always looking for new ways to trick people into parting with their money, use the heightened emotions of Valentine’s Day to their advantage. They prey on the unwary, the love-struck, and even the lonely – anyone who might let their guard down in the quest for love or the pursuit of the perfect gift. And in our increasingly digital world, these unscrupulous individuals have more ways than ever to reach potential victims.
→ Dig Deeper: AI Goes Dating: McAfee Study Shows 1 in 3 Men Plan to Use Artificial Intelligence to Write Love Letters this Valentine’s Day
Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and that’s certainly true when it comes to protecting yourself from scams. By understanding the types of scams that are common around Valentine’s Day, you can be better prepared to spot them – and avoid falling victim.
One of the most common Valentine’s Day scams is the romance scam. Scammers, often posing as potential love interests on dating websites or social media, manipulate victims into believing they are in a romantic relationship. Once they have gained their victim’s trust, they ask for money – perhaps to pay for a flight so they can meet in person, or because of a sudden personal crisis. These scams can be emotionally devastating, and they can also result in significant financial loss.
→ Dig Deeper: Fraudulent Adult Dating Services Turn 10 Years Old, Still Evolving
Another popular scam around Valentine’s Day involves online shopping. With many people seeking the perfect gift for their loved ones, scammers set up fake websites that appear to sell everything from jewelry to concert tickets. After making a purchase, the unsuspecting victim either receives a counterfeit product or, in some cases, nothing at all. Additionally, these sites may be designed to steal credit card information or other personal data.
Phishing scams are also common. In these scams, victims receive emails that appear to be from a legitimate company – perhaps a florist or a candy company – asking them to confirm their account information or to click on a link. The goal is to steal sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or login credentials.
While the existence of these scams is unquestionably concerning, the good news is that there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Valentine’s Day should be a celebration of love, not a source of stress and worry.
One of the most important is to be aware that these scams exist and to be cautious when interacting with unfamiliar people or websites. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
When shopping online, make sure the website you are using is secure, and consider using a credit card, which offers greater protection against fraud compared to other forms of payment. Be wary of emails from unknown sources, especially those that ask for personal information or urge you to click on a link.
For shopping scams, it’s recommended to do research on any unfamiliar online retailer before making a purchase. Look for reviews or complaints about the retailer on independent consumer websites. If the website is offering items at a price that seems too good to be true, it likely is. Also, consider the website’s URL. A URL that begins with ‘https://’ indicates that the website encrypts user information, making it safer to input sensitive information than on websites with ‘http://’ URLs.
Forewarned is forearmed, and having advanced strategies to detect and avoid scams is also a strong line of defense. When it comes to online dating, be sure to thoroughly vet any potential romantic interests. This involves doing a reverse image search of profile photos, which can quickly reveal if a picture has been stolen from another online source. Additionally, be aware of red flags such as overly-flattering messages or requests to move the conversation to a private email or messaging app.
McAfee Pro Tip: If you’re considering using one of these for a bit of dating beyond a dating app or simply to stay connected with family and friends, the key advice is to do your homework. Look into their security measures and privacy policies, especially because some have faced security issues recently. For more information, take a look at this article on video conferencing to ensure you can keep hackers and uninvited guests away when you’re chatting.
If you come across a scam or fall victim to one, it’s crucial to report it to the appropriate authorities. This helps law enforcement track down scammers and alert others to the scam. In the U.S., you can report scams to the Federal Trade Commission through their website. If the scam involves a financial transaction, also report it to your bank or credit card company. They may be able to help recover your funds or prevent further losses.
Additionally, take steps to protect yourself after falling victim to a scam. This could involve changing passwords, monitoring your financial accounts for unusual activity, or even freezing your credit. It can also be beneficial to alert your friends and family to the scam, both to protect them and to gain their support and assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the scam.
→ Dig Deeper: How To Report An Online Scam
The unfortunate reality is that scammers are ever-present and always looking for new ways to exploit unsuspecting victims. However, by being informed, cautious, and proactive, you can significantly decrease your chances of falling victim to a Valentine’s Day scam. Whether you’re looking for love or shopping for the perfect gift, remember to always prioritize your safety and security.
And if you do encounter a scam, take comfort in knowing that you’re not alone and there are resources available to help. McAfee’s blogs and reports are just some of them. By reporting scams to the authorities, you’re doing your part to help stop scammers in their tracks and protect others from falling victim. Remember, Valentine’s Day is a day for celebrating love, not for worrying about scammers. Stay safe, stay informed, and don’t let a scammer ruin your Valentine’s Day.
Remember to always stay vigilant. Protect your heart and your bank account, and make sure your Valentine’s Day is filled with love and happiness, not regret and frustration. Don’t let scammers break your heart or your bank account – on Valentine’s Day or on any other day.
The post Valentine’s Alert: Don’t Let Scammers Break Your Heart or Your Bank Account appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Reels of another kind rack up the views online. Stories about Facebook Marketplace scams.
Recently, TikTok’er Michel Janse (@michel.c.janse) got well over a million views with a most unusual story about selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace—and how it led to identity theft.
@michel.c.janse oops dont fall for this scam like me
The story goes like this:
A buyer reached out about the furniture Michel was selling, expressed interest, and then hesitated. Why the cold feet? The buyer wanted to speak to Michel on the phone to confirm that Michel was a real person. “Are you OK if I voice call you from Google?” Michel agreed, sent her number, and soon received a text with a Google Voice code. The buyer asked for the code, and as soon as Michel sent it, she got that sinking feeling. “I should have Googled before I did, because something feels really off.”
As she found out, it was. The scammer ghosted the conversation and ran off with the verification code.
This is a variation of the “Verification Code Scam,” where scammers ask you to send them that six-digit code you receive as part of an account login process. Here, scammers send a text message with a Google Voice verification code and ask you to send them that code. With it, they can create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number—and go on to commit other forms of identity theft in your name.
It happens so often that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a page dedicated to the topic. Luckily, Michel got wise quickly enough. She quickly asked for another code and took back charge of that newly created Google Voice account.
This is just one of the many scams lurking about on Facebook Marketplace. Largely, Facebook is a great place packed with lots of great deals, yet you can get stung. But if you know what to look out for, you can spot those scams and steer clear of them when you do.
As the saying goes, buyer beware. And seller too. Scammers weasel their way into both ends of a transaction. Per Facebook, in addition to phishing attacks, scams on Facebook Marketplace take three primary forms:
A buyer scam is: When someone tries to buy or trade items from someone else without paying, resulting in a loss of money for the seller and a gain for the buyer. This might look like a buyer who:
An example, a scammer sends a seller a pre-paid shipping label to mail the item. Then they change the address via their tracking number and claim they never received the goods.
A seller scam is: When someone tries to sell or trade items to someone else without delivering the items as promised, resulting in a gain of money for the seller and a loss for the buyer. This might look like a seller who:
An example, a scammer offers up a game console—one that doesn’t work when you take it home and plug it in.
A listing scam is: When a listing appears to be dishonest, fake, or lures buyers to complete transactions outside Facebook Marketplace. This might look like a listing:
An example, you see a great price on a commuter bike, yet the seller wants to complete the transaction over text. And using a payment form not covered by Facebook’s purchase protection policies, such as Venmo or Zelle.
Like any transaction you make through social media, a few extra steps and a dose of buyer or seller beware can help you make a great purchase or sale. One that’s safe.
You can take three big steps to help set things straight.
Whether shopping on Facebook Marketplace or off, a combination of online protection software and smart habits can help you avoid getting scammed. Further, online protection can provide you with yet more ways of preventing and recovering from identity theft.
We’d like to thank Michel and all the others who have shared their stories. Getting scammed stings. That’s why people often fail to report it, let alone share that it happened to them. Yet scams are crimes. Without question, act and report on a scam for the crime that it is. Get the proper platforms and authorities involved.
Keep in mind the larger picture as well. Scams aren’t always one-offs. Organized crime gets in on scams as well, sometimes on a large scale. By acting and reporting on scams, you provide those platforms and authorities mentioned above with vital info that can help them shut it down.
Your best defenses are your nose and your online protection software. As Michel said, something felt off in her interaction. So, if something doesn’t pass the sniff test, pay attention to that instinct. Shut down that purchase or sale on Facebook Marketplace—and report it if you think it’s a scam. You might save someone else some heartache down the road.
The post How to Look Out For Scams on Facebook Marketplace appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Amidst the recent heartbreaking events in the Middle East, parents now face the challenge of protecting children from the overwhelming amount of violent and disturbing content so easily accessible to children online.
Reports of unimaginable acts, including graphic photos and videos, have emerged on popular social networks, leading child advocates to call for heightened monitoring and, in some cases, the removal of these apps from children’s devices. According to a recent investigation by The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, the team adopted the personas of 13-year-olds to establish accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. During a 48-hour period spanning from October 14 to 16, the researchers unearthed over 300 problematic posts. Surprisingly, a significant majority of these problematic posts, approximately 78%, were discovered on Instagram, with Snapchat hosting about 5% of them.
In today’s digital age, the consensus is clear: keeping older children informed about global events is important. However, given the abundance of real-time, violent content, the urgency to protect them from distressing material that could harm their mental well-being has become even more imperative.
In such times, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy, but we can provide valuable tips to help you monitor and minimize your child’s exposure to violent content.
To wrap up, don’t lose sight of mental and physical well-being by implementing the strategies mentioned here. By setting a strong example of a balanced digital life and open communication about real-life crises, your children will naturally pick up on how to navigate the online world. Your actions speak volumes, and they will follow your lead.
The post Digital Strategies to Safeguard Your Child from Upsetting and Violent Content Online appeared first on McAfee Blog.
In today’s world, most communication happens through the internet, facilitated by numerous applications. The web is a lively center filled with various activities such as news, videos, education, blogs, gaming, activism, and entertainment. Notably, social media apps have morphed into the digital meeting points for netizens. Our society is undeniably superbly interconnected, and our digital persona is greatly treasured.
However, this isn’t always beneficial, especially for teenagers who may be overwhelmed by the deluge of information, leading to stress. Stress is a common part of our daily lives, emerging from our education, employment, relationships, and surroundings. A similar situation transpires online. In fact, we tend to cope with stress by expressing our frustrations, confronting problems directly, or evading the issue altogether. Yet, the ways to cope with stress in the virtual world differ. Online stress can arise from unique triggers, and its repercussions can rapidly escalate and proliferate at an alarming rate.
The rise of social media has brought a concerning phenomenon – social media stress in children. As these young individuals navigate the complex virtual world, they often encounter a range of stressors that can significantly impact their emotional and psychological well-being. Understanding these underlying causes is a crucial step in addressing and mitigating the adverse effects of social media on our younger generations. Let’s delve into the causes of social media stress in children and shed light on the various factors that contribute to this growing issue:
Besides the more obvious and well-documented sources of social media stress in children, there exist several other significant triggers that contribute to the overall stress levels experienced by young individuals in the digital age, and these may include:
→ Dig Deeper: The Ultimate Guide to Safe Sharing Online
→ Dig Deeper: More Dangers of Cyberbullying Emerge—Our Latest Connected Family Report
→ Dig Deeper: 5 Screen Time Principles to Establish When Your Kids are Still Babies
Parenting plays a major role in helping children learn how to tackle social media stress. As parents, you know your children the best. Yes, even teens. Observe them, and if you note any change in their social media habits or general behavior, talk to them. The earlier you start having frank one-to-one conversations, the easier it will be for you later. But before that, you may need to modify your response to stress and learn to control your reactions. That way, you will teach them a very important lesson without using a single word.
Children can learn to manage social media stress by developing a healthy online etiquette and creating boundaries for their online activities. Encourage them to accept differences and realize that people have varied opinions. Remind them not to make judgments based on someone’s online bio and pictures and to understand that life isn’t a bed of roses for anyone. Another important step is to help them understand how important it is to respond tactfully when things get heated online. It’s essential that they understand the power of choosing not to engage in online altercations. Being silent doesn’t mean they’re weak but smart enough not to get provoked. If any online situation becomes too intense, they should be encouraged to report and block the perpetrator immediately.
McAfee Pro Tip: Since each child’s level of maturity and cognitive capacity to manage online challenges varies, a one-site-fits-all approach to balancing social media and mental health won’t work for everyone. Find tips on how to find the best method for your child.
One of the keys to managing stress caused by social media is ensuring that kids practice digital balance. Set screen time limits and encourage them to make and maintain friendships in the real world. In-person interactions promote emotional growth and provide a well-rounded social experience. Moreover, it’s crucial to instill the idea that maturity is about staying true to their values and wisdom lies in identifying the negatives and avoiding them. Just as they would in the physical world, they should be aware that the digital world comprises both good and bad elements. This awareness can help them navigate online spaces safely. Let them know the importance of applying their real-life values in the digital world and the mantra of STOP, THINK, CONNECT, should always be in their mind before posting anything online.
→ Dig Deeper: 6 Steps to Help Your Family Restore Digital Balance in Stressful Times
In conclusion, parents play a crucial role in helping their children tackle social media stress. By observing their kids’ behavioral changes, having open conversations, and setting appropriate boundaries for their online activities, parents can help their kids navigate the digital world safely. Encouraging children to accept differences, practice tact, maintain digital balance, and be aware of the good and bad online can help alleviate the stress caused by social media. Ultimately, the goal is to create a healthier and happier online space for children, free from unnecessary stress.
Improve your digital parenting with McAfee’s Parental Controls. This security tool allows parents to monitor device usage, set limits on screen time, and even keep tabs on kids’ whereabouts.
The post Handling Social Media Stress for Teens appeared first on McAfee Blog.
We reported earlier this year, a fresh rash of online job scams continue to rope in plenty of victims. Now, those victims are taking to TikTok with a warning.
https://www.tiktok.com.mcas.ms/@thenamesamber/video/7188616142062275886
Source, thenamesamber on TikTok
Take the story thenamesamber told on TikTok. It starts out like many. Amber wanted a job that allowed remote work, and luckily enough, a recruiter reached out to her through an online recruiting site with an opportunity.
From there, the recruiter directed Amber to download a messaging app, which the company would use for the interview process. The interview went just fine, Amber got a job offer, and then the company asked Amber for a home address.
Here’s where the catch comes in.
Amber goes on to say that the company sent her a check by overnight mail, a check she should use to buy equipment. A check for nearly $5,000. For days, the check didn’t post. The company repeatedly asked for update. Had it posted yet? Had it posted yet?
At this point, Amber said she got suspicious. She contacted her bank. The check had a hold placed on it, and according to Amber, she was charged a fee and her account frozen for days. In speaking with her bank, Amber was told that the check was bad and that she was the victim of a scam. The bank has seen a lot of it lately, said Amber.
Yet based on what we’ve seen, Amber got lucky.
Victims and banks sometimes fail to spot the scam as it unfolds. In those cases, the check gets posted and the scammers tell the victim to forward the money to another person who’ll purchase equipment for them. Usually by way of an online payment app.
Days later, the check bounces for insufficient funds. Meanwhile, victims get burdened with the fraud reporting process — with their bank and with the payment app they used. Depending on the means and terms of payment, some or all of that money might be gone for good. And as a result, the scammers get a few thousand dollars richer.
If you spend some time on social media, you’ll stumble across plenty of videos that tell this exact story in one form or another. And with each story, you’ll find dozens of people sharing that the same thing happened, or almost happened, to them.
We’re glad people are taking to TikTok to share their stories, even as sharing those stories can get painful. You can avoid these scams. Part of it involves awareness. They’re still going strong. The next part counts on you and your sharp eye to spot sketchy behavior when you see it.
We’ll show you how, and that begins with a look at where these scams take place.
Employment figures continue to surge. It’s a hot job market out there, and when things get hot, you’ll find scammers looking to turn a buck. It’s much like tax season and gift-giving holidays. Scammers will take advantage of trends and seasonal events where people go online and there’s money involved. Job scams are no different.
Where do these scams crop up?
As we reported earlier this year and as TikTok videos have shared, many appear to originate from trusted online recruiting platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed. Scammers will either set up a bogus company or pose as a representative of a legitimate company. In other cases, job scams take root on social media. Here, scammers play the same game—set up a bogus company or impersonate a legitimate one.
From there, stories like Amber’s unfold.
Without question, recruiting and social media platforms know what’s going on and take steps to quash scam accounts.
For example, LinkedIn’s latest community report cited the removal of more than 21 million fake accounts in the first half of 2022:
Likewise, Facebook took action on 426 million fake accounts in Q1 of 2023 alone, with nearly 99% of them acted on before users reported them.
In its guidelines for a safe job search, Indeed mentions the global teams “dedicated to the safety and authenticity of the jobs posted on our platform.”
Still, some scammers make their way through to these platforms and others like them.
Our earlier advice on the topic still holds true. You can spot scams several ways, particularly when you know that scammers want your money and personal information as quickly as possible. The moment any so-called job offer asks for any of those, a red flag should immediately go up.
It’s possibly a scam if:
They ask for your Social Security or tax ID number.
In the hands of a scammer, your SSN or tax ID is the key to your identity. With it, they can open up bank cards, lines of credit, apply for insurance benefits, collect benefits and tax returns, or even commit crimes, all in your name. Needless to say, scammers will ask for it, perhaps under the guise of a background check or for payroll purposes. The only time you should provide your SSN or tax ID is when you know that you have accepted a legitimate job with a legitimate company. Only sent it through a secure document signing service, never via email, text, or over the phone.
They want your banking information.
Another trick scammers rely on is asking for bank account information so that they can wire a payment to you. As with the SSN above, closely guard this information and treat it in exactly the same way. Don’t give it out unless you have a legitimate job with a legitimate company.
They want you to pay before you get paid.
Some scammers will take a different route. They’ll promise employment, but first you’ll need to pay them for training, onboarding, or equipment before you can start work. Legitimate companies won’t make these kinds of requests. Amber’s check story provides a good example of this.
They tell you to download a specific messaging app to communicate with them.
Victims report that the scammers require a specific app to chat and, sometimes, to conduct the interview itself. Apps like Signal and Wire get mentioned, yet rest assured that these apps themselves are legitimate. The scammers are the problem, not the apps. Consider it a warning sign if someone asks you to largely communicate this way.
Aside from the types of information they ask for, the way they ask for your information offers other clues that you might find yourself mixed up in a scam. Look out for the following as well:
1) The offer is big on promises but short on details.
You can sniff out many online scams with the “too good to be true” test. Scammers often make big promises during the holidays with low-priced offers for hard-to-get holiday gifts and then don’t deliver. It’s the same with job scams. The high pay, the low hours, and even the offer of things like a laptop and other perks, these are signs that a job offer might be a scam. Moreover, when pressed for details about this seemingly fantastic job opportunity, scammers might balk. Or they might come back with incomplete or inconsistent replies because the job doesn’t exist at all.
2) They communicate only through email or chat.
Job scammers hide behind their screens. They use the anonymity of the internet to their advantage. Job scammers likewise create phony profiles on networking and social media websites, which means they won’t agree to a video chat or call, which are commonly used in legitimate recruiting today. If your job offer doesn’t involve some sort of face-to-face communication, that indicates it might be a scam.
3) And the communications seem a little …off.
Scammers now have an additional tool to reel in their victims — AI chatbots like Chat GPT, which can generate email correspondence, chats, LinkedIn profiles, and other content in seconds so they can bilk victims on a huge scale. However, AI has its limits. Right now, it tends to use shorter sentences in a way that seems like it’s spitting out information. There’s little story or substance to the content it creates. That might be a sign of a scam. Likewise, even without AI, you might spot a recruiter using technical or job-related terms in unusual ways, as if they’re unfamiliar with the work they’re hiring for. That’s another potential sign.
4) Things move too quickly.
Scammers love quick conversion. Yet job seekers today know that interview processes are typically long and involved, often relying on several rounds of interviews and loops. If a job offer comes along without the usual rigor and the recruiter is asking for personal information practically right away, that’s another near-certain sign of a scam.
5) You get job offers on Facebook or other social media sites not associated with job searches.
This is another red flag. Legitimate businesses stick to platforms associated with networking for business purposes, typically not networking for families, friends, and interests. Why do scammers use sites like Facebook anyway? They’re a gold mine of information. By trolling public profiles, they have access to years of posts and armloads of personal information on thousands of people, which they can use to target their attacks. This is another good reason to set your social media profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and other friend-oriented sites to private so that scammers of all kinds, not just job scammers, can’t use your information against you.
As a job hunter you know that getting the right job requires some research. You look up the company, dig into their history—the work they do, how long they’ve been at it, where their locations are, and maybe even read some reviews provided by current or former employees. When it comes to job offers that come out of the blue, it calls for taking that research a step further.
After all, is that business really a business, or is it really a scam?
In the U.S., you have several resources that can help you answer that question. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers a searchable listing of businesses in the U.S., along with a brief profile, a rating, and even a list of complaints (and company responses) waged against them. Spending some time here can quickly shed light on the legitimacy of a company.
Also in the U.S., you can visit the website of your state’s Secretary of State and search for the business in question, where you can find when it was founded, if it’s still active, or if it exists at all. For businesses based in a state other than your own, you can visit that state’s Secretary of State website for information. For a state-by-state list of Secretaries of State, you can visit the Secretary of State Corporate Search page here.
For a listing of businesses with international locations, organizations like S&P Global Ratings and the Dun and Bradstreet Corporation can provide background information, which might require signing up for an account.
Given the way we rely so heavily on the internet to get things done and enjoy our day, comprehensive online protection software that looks out for your identity, privacy, and devices is a must. Specific to job scams, it can help you in several ways, these being just a few:
Amber’s story, and stories like hers have racked up nearly a quarter-billion dollars in reported losses in the first half of this year here in the U.S. The median loss, somewhere around $2,000 per victim.
Job scams persist. In fact, they’ve increased by nearly 25% this year compared to this time last year. It’s no surprise that scam stories on TikTok keep racking up. Yet as you’ve seen, awareness and a sharp eye can help you avoid them.
Editor’s Note:
Job scams are a crime. If you think that you or someone you know has fallen victim to one, report it to your authorities and appropriate government agencies. In the case of identity theft or loss of personal information, our knowledge base article on identity theft offers suggestions for the specific steps you can take in specific countries, along with helpful links for local authorities that you can turn to for reporting and assistance.
The post Online Job Scams – TikTokers Tell Their Stories, with a Warning appeared first on McAfee Blog.
What does a hacker want with your social media account? Plenty.
Hackers hijack social media accounts for several reasons. They’ll dupe the victim’s friends and followers with scams. They’ll flood feeds with misinformation. And they’ll steal all kinds of personal information—not to mention photos and chats in DMs. In all, a stolen social media account could lead to fraud, blackmail, and other crimes.
Yet you have a strong line of defense that can prevent it from happening to you: multi-factor authentication (MFA).
MFA goes by other names, such as two-factor authentication and two-step verification. Yet they all boost your account security in much the same way. They add an extra step or steps to the login process. Extra evidence to prove that you are, in fact, you. It’s in addition to the usual username/password combination, thus the “multi-factor” in multi-factor authentication.
Examples of MFA include:
With MFA, a hacker needs more than just your username and password to weasel their way into your account. They need that extra piece of evidence required by the login process, which is something only you should have.
This stands as a good reminder that you should never give out the information you use in your security questions—and to never share your one-time security codes with anyone. In fact, scammers cobble up all kinds of phishing scams to steal that information.
Major social media platforms offer MFA, although they might call it by other names. As you’ll see, several platforms call it “two-factor authentication.”
Given the way that interfaces and menus can vary and get updated over time, your best bet for setting up MFA on your social media accounts is to go right to the source. Social media platforms provide the latest step-by-step instructions in their help pages. A simple search for “multi-factor authentication” and the name of your social media platform should readily turn up results.
For quick reference, you can find the appropriate help pages for some of the most popular platforms here:
Another important reminder is to check the URL of the site you’re on to ensure it’s legitimate. Scammers set up all kinds of phony login and account pages to steal your info. Phishing scams like those are a topic all on their own. A great way you can learn to spot them is by giving our Phishing Scam Protection Guide a quick read. It’s part of our McAfee Safety Series, which covers a broad range of topics, from romance scams and digital privacy to online credit protection and ransomware.
In many ways, your social media account is an extension of yourself. It reflects your friendships, interests, likes, and conversations. Only you should have access to that. Putting MFA in place can help keep it that way.
More broadly, enabling MFA across every account that offers it is a smart security move as well. It places a major barrier in the way of would-be hackers who, somehow, in some way, have ended up with your username and password.
On the topic, ensure your social media accounts have strong, unique passwords in place. The one-two punch of strong, unique passwords and MFA will make hacking your account tougher still. Wondering what a strong, unique password looks like? Here’s a hint: a password with eight characters is less secure than you might think. With a quick read, you can create strong, unique passwords that are tough to crack.
Lastly, consider using comprehensive online protection software if you aren’t already. In addition to securing your devices from hacks and attacks, it can help protect your privacy and identity across your travels online—both on social media and off.
The post How to Protect Your Social Media Passwords from Hacks and Attacks appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Farewell, summer. Hello, back-to-school season! While the chill may not be in the air yet, parents may be feeling the slight shiver of unease as their kids, tweens, teens, and young adults return to school and become re-entangled with the technology they use for their education and budding social lives.
Before they hop on the bus or zoom off to college, alert your children to the following 10 online cybersecurity best practices to ensure a safe school year online.
It sounds obvious but impart the importance to your kids of keeping their eyes on their devices at all times. Lost cellphones and laptops are not only expensive to replace but you lose control of the valuable personally identifiable information (PII) they contain. Protect all devices with unique, hard-to-guess passwords. Even better, enable biometric passwords, such as fingerprint or face ID. These are the hardest passwords to crack and can keep the information inside lost or stolen devices safe.
Streaming services host the most buzzworthy shows. All their friends may be raving about the latest episodes of a zombie thriller or sci-fi visual masterpiece, but alas: Your family doesn’t have a subscription to the streaming service. Cash-conscious college students especially may attempt to save money on streaming by sharing passwords to various platforms. Alert your children to the dangers of doing so. Sharing a password with a trusted best friend might not seem like a cyberthreat, but if they share it with a friend who then shares it with someone else who may not be so trustworthy, you just handed the keys to a criminal to walk right in and help themselves to your PII stored on the streaming service’s dashboard.
Once the cybercriminal has your streaming service password, they may then attempt to use it to break into other sensitive online accounts. Criminals bank on people reusing the same passwords across various accounts. So, make sure that your children always keep their passwords to themselves and have unique passwords for every account. If they’re having a difficult time remembering dozens of passwords, sign them up for a password manager that can store passwords securely.
Walk down any city or suburban street, and you’re likely to see at least one Gen Zer filming themselves doing the latest dance trend or taking carefully posed pictures with their friends to share on social media. According to one survey, 76% of Gen Zers use Instagram and 71% are on social media for three hours or more every day.1 And while they’re on social media, your children are likely posting details about their day. Some details – like what they ate for breakfast – are innocent. But when kids start posting pictures or details about where they go to school, where they practice sports, and geotagging their home addresses, this opens them up to identity fraud or stalking.
Encourage your children to keep some personal details to themselves, especially their full names, full birthdates, address, and where they go to school. For their social media handles, suggest they go by a nickname and omit their birthyear. Also, it’s best practice to keep social media accounts set to private. If they have aspirations to become the internet’s next biggest influencer or video star, they can create a public account that’s sparse on the personal details.
Cyberbullying is a major concern for school-age children and their parents. According to McAfee’s “Life Behind the Screens of Parents, Tweens, and Teens,” 57% of parents worry about cyberbullying and 47% of children are similarly uneasy about it. Globally, children as young as 10 years old have experienced cyberbullying.
Remind your children that they should report any online interaction that makes them uncomfortable to an adult, whether that’s a teacher, a guidance counsellor, or a family member. Breaks from social media platforms are healthy, so consider having the whole family join in on a family-wide social media vacation. Instead of everyone scrolling on their phones on a weeknight, replace that time with a game night instead.
ChatGPT is all the rage, and procrastinators are rejoicing. Now, instead of spending hours writing essays, students can ask artificial intelligence to compose it for them. ChatGPT is just the latest tool corner-cutters are adding to their toolbelt. Now that most kids, tweens, and teens have cellphones in their pockets, that means they also basically have cheating devices under their desks.
To deter cheating, parents should consider lessening the pressure upon their kids to receive a good grade at any cost. School is all about learning, and the more a student cheats, the less they learn. Lessons often build off previous units, so if a student cheats on one test, future learning is built upon a shaky foundation of previous knowledge. Also, students should be careful about using AI as a background research tool, as it isn’t always accurate.
Phishing happens to just about everyone with an email address, social media account, or mobile phone. Cybercriminals impersonate businesses, authority figures, or people in dire straits to gain financially from unsuspecting targets. While an adult who carefully reads their online correspondences can often pick out a phisher from a legitimate sender, tweens and teens who rush through messages and don’t notice the tell-tale signs could fall for a phisher and give up their valuable PII.
Pass these rules onto your students to help them avoid falling for phishing scams:
Social engineering is similar to phishing in that it is a scheme where a cybercriminal ekes valuable PII from people on social media and uses it to impersonate them elsewhere or gain financially. Social engineers peruse public profiles and create scams targeted specifically to their target’s interests and background. For instance, if they see a person loves their dog, the criminal may fabricate a dog rescue fundraiser to steal their credit card information.
It’s important to alert your children (and remind your college-age young adults) to be on the lookout for people online who do not have pure intentions. It’s safest to deal with any stranger online with a hefty dose of skepticism. If their heartstrings are truly tugged by a story they see online, they should consider researching and donating their money or time to a well-known organization that does similar work.
With an election on the horizon, there will probably be an uptick in false new reports. Fake news spreaders are likely to employ AI art, deepfake, and ChatGPT-written “news” articles to support their sensationalist claims. Alert your students – especially teens and young adults who may be interested in politics – to be on the lookout for fake news. Impart the importance of not sharing fake news with their online followings, even if they’re poking fun at how ridiculous the report is. All it takes is for one person to believe it, spread it to their network, and the fake news proponents slowly gather their own following. Fake news turns dangerous when it incites a mob mentality.
To identify fake news, first, read the report. Does it sound completely outlandish? Are the accompanying images hard to believe? Then, see if any other news outlet has reported a similar story. Genuine news is rarely isolated to one outlet.
Parents with students who have a budding interest in current events should share a few vetted online news sources that are well-established and revered for their trustworthiness.
In a quest for free shows, movies, video games, and knockoff software, students are likely to land on at least one risky website. Downloading free media onto a device from a risky site can turn costly very quickly, as malware often lurks on files. Once the malware infects a device, it can hijack the device’s computing power for the cybercriminal’s other endeavors or the malware could log keystrokes and steal passwords and other sensitive information.
With the threat of malware swirling, it’s key to share safe downloading best practices with your student. A safe browsing extension, like McAfee Web Advisor, alerts you when you’re entering a risky site where malware and other shifty online schemes may be hiding.
Dorms, university libraries, campus cafes, and class buildings all likely have their own Wi-Fi networks. While school networks may include some protection from outside cybercriminals, networks that you share with hundreds or thousands of people are susceptible to digital eavesdropping.
To protect connected devices and the important information they house, connect to a virtual private network (VPN) whenever you’re not 100% certain of a Wi-Fi’s safety. VPNs are quick and easy to connect to, and they don’t slow down your device.
Dealing with technology is an issue that parents have always faced. While it used to be as simple as limiting TV time, they now deal with monitoring many forms of technology. From eyes glued to smartphones all day to hours spent playing video games, kids are immersed in technology.
Safe technology use doesn’t come as second nature — it needs to be taught. As a parent, the issues of when to get your child a phone, too much screen time and online harassment are top of mind. To address these concerns, it’s important to set boundaries and teach safe technology use. One way to do this is by creating a family media agreement or contract.
Family device agreements help teach proper technology use and set expectations. They allow you to start an open conversation with your kids and encourage them to be part of the decision making. By creating a family device agreement, your kids will know their boundaries and have concrete consequences for breaking them.
In today’s parenting, you may want to consider creating a McAfee Family Device Agreement. The most important thing is to have an agreement that is suitable for your kids’ ages and maturity and one that works for your family’s schedule. There’s no point making your kids sign an agreement that limits their time on Instagram when they’re probably quite happy visiting only the online sites that you have ‘bookmarked’ for them.
While diligence and good cyber habits can lessen the impact of many of these 10 threats, a cybersecurity protection service gives parents and their students valuable peace of mind that their devices and online privacy are safe. McAfee+ Ultimate Family Plan is the all-in-one device, privacy, and identity protection service that allows the whole family to live confidently online.
1Morning Consult, “Gen Z Is Extremely Online”
The post 10 Back-to-School Tech Tips for Kids, Teens and College Students appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Happy World Social Media Day! Today’s a day about celebrating the life-long friendships you’ve made thanks to social media. Social media was invented to help users meet new people with shared interests, stay in touch, and learn more about world. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, LinkedIn, and the trailblazing MySpace have all certainly succeeded in those aims.
This is the first World Social Media Day where artificial intelligence (AI) joins the party. AI has existed in many forms for decades, but it’s only recently that AI-powered apps and tools are available in the pockets and homes of just about everyone. ChatGPT, Voice.ai, DALL-E, and others are certainly fun to play with and can even speed up your workday.
While scrolling through hilarious videos and commenting on your friends’ life milestones are practically national pastimes, some people are making it their pastime to fill our favorite social media feeds with AI-generated content. Not all of it is malicious, but some AI-generated social media posts are scams.
Here are some examples of common AI-generated content that you’re likely to encounter on social media.
Have you scrolled through your video feed and come across voices that sound exactly like the current and former presidents? And are they playing video games together? Comic impersonators can be hilariously accurate with their copycatting, but the voice track to this video is spot on. This series of videos, created by TikToker Voretecks, uses AI voice generation to mimic presidential voices and pit them against each other to bring joy to their viewers.1 In this case, AI-generated voices are mostly harmless, since the videos are in jest. Context clues make it obvious that the presidents didn’t gather to hunt rogue machines together.
AI voice generation turns nefarious when it’s meant to trick people into thinking or acting a certain way. For example, an AI voiceover made it look like a candidate for Chicago mayor said something inflammatory that he never said.2 Fake news is likely to skyrocket with the fierce 2024 election on the horizon. Social media sites, especially Twitter, are an effective avenue for political saboteurs to spread their lies far and wide to discredit their opponent.
Finally, while it might not appear on your social media feed, scammers can use what you post on social media to impersonate your voice. According to McAfee’s Beware the Artificial Imposters Report, a scammer requires only three seconds of audio to clone your voice. From there, the scammer may reach out to your loved ones with extremely realistic phone calls to steal money or sensitive personal information. The report also found that of the people who lost money to an AI voice scam, 36% said they lost between $500 and $3,000.
To keep your voice out of the hands of scammers, perhaps be more mindful of the videos or audio clips you post publicly. Also, consider having a secret safe word with your friends and family that would stump any would-be scammer.
Deepfake, or the alteration of an existing photo or video of a real person that shows them doing something that never happened, is another tactic used by social media comedians and fake news spreaders alike. In the case of the former, one company founded their entire business upon deepfake. The company is most famous for its deepfakes of Tom Cruise, though it’s evolved into impersonating other celebrities, generative AI research, and translation.3
When you see videos or images on social media that seem odd, look for a disclaimer – either on the post itself or in the poster’s bio – about whether the poster used deepfake technology to create the content. A responsible social media user will alert their audiences when the content they post is AI generated.
Again, deepfake and other AI-altered images become malicious when they cause social media viewers to think or act a certain way. Fake news outlets may portray a political candidate doing something embarrassing to sway voters. Or an AI-altered image of animals in need may tug at the heartstrings of social media users and cause them to donate to a fake fundraiser. Deepfake challenges the saying “seeing is believing.”
ChatGPT is everyone’s favorite creativity booster and taskmaster for any writing chore. It is also the new best friend of social media bot accounts. Present on just about every social media platform, bot accounts spread spam, fake news, and bolster follower numbers. Bot accounts used to be easy to spot because their posts were unoriginal and poorly written. Now, with the AI-assisted creativity and excellent sentence-level composition of ChatGPT, bot accounts are sounding a lot more realistic. And the humans managing those hundreds of bot accounts can now create content more quickly than if they were writing each post themselves.
In general, be wary when anyone you don’t know comments on one of your posts or reaches out to you via direct message. If someone says you’ve won a prize but you don’t remember ever entering a contest, ignore it.
With the advent of mainstream AI, everyone should approach every social media post with skepticism. Be on the lookout for anything that seems amiss or too fantastical to be true. And before you share a news item with your following, conduct your own background research to assert that it’s true.
To protect or restore your identity should you fall for any social media scams, you can trust McAfee+. McAfee+ monitors your identity and credit to help you catch suspicious activity early. Also, you can feel secure in the $1 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration services.
Social media is a fun way to pass the time, keep up with your friends, and learn something new. Don’t be afraid of AI on social media. Instead, laugh at the parodies, ignore and report the fake news, and enjoy social media confidently!
1Business Insider, “AI-generated audio of Joe Biden and Donald Trump trashtalking while gaming is taking over TikTok”
2The Hill, “The impending nightmare that AI poses for media, elections”
3Metaphysic, “Create generative AI video that looks real”
The post Be Mindful of These 3 AI Tricks on World Social Media Day appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Social engineering. It’s a con game. And a con game by any other name stings just as badly.
Like any form of con, social engineering dupes their victims by playing on their emotions. Fear, excitement, and surprise. And they prey on human nature as well. The desire to help others, recognizing authority, and even the dream of hitting it big in the lottery. All of this comes into play in social engineering.
By design, the scammers who employ social engineering do so in an attempt to bilk people out of their personal information, their money, or both. More broadly, they’re designed to give scammers access—to a credit card, bank account, proprietary company information, and even physical access to a building or restricted space in the case of tailgating attacks. In this way, social engineering is an attack technique rather than a specific type of attack.
Several types of attacks employ social engineering:
The list goes on. Yet those are among the top attacks that use social engineering as a means of hoodwinking their victims. It’s a scammer’s secret weapon. Time and time again, we’ve seen just how effective it can be.
So while many bad actors turn to social engineering tricks to do their dirty work, they share several common characteristics. That makes them easy to spot. If you know what you’re looking for.
An overexcited or aggressive tone in an email, text, DM, or any kind of message you receive should put up a big red flag. Scammers use these scare tactics to get you to act without thinking things through first.
Common examples include imposter scams. The scammer will send a text or email that looks like it comes from someone you know. And they’ll say they’re in a jam of some sort, like their car has broken down in the middle of nowhere, or that they have a medical emergency and to go to urgent care. In many of these cases, scammers will quickly ask for money.
Another classic is the tax scam, where a scammer poses as a tax agent or representative. From there, they bully money out of their victims with threats of legal action or even arrest. Dealing with an actual tax issue might be uncomfortable, but a legitimate tax agent won’t threaten you like that.
You’ve won a sweepstakes! (That you never entered.) Get a great deal on this hard-to-find item! (That will never ship after you’ve paid for it.) Scammers will concoct all kinds of stories to separate you from your personal information.
The scammers behind bogus prizes and sweepstakes will ask you for banking information or sometimes even your tax ID number to pay out your winnings. Winnings you’ll never receive, of course. The scammer wants that information to raid your accounts and commit all kinds of identity theft.
Those great deals? The scammers might not ship them at all. They’ll drain your credit or debit card instead and leave you tapping your foot by your mailbox. Sometimes, the scammers might indeed ship you something after all—a knock-off item. One possibly made with child labor.
Scammers will often pose as people you know. That can include friends, family members, co-workers, bosses, vendors or clients at work, and so on. And when they do, something about the message you get will seem a bit strange.
For starters, the message might not sound like it came from them. What they say and how they say it seems off or out of character. It might include links or attachments you didn’t expect to get. Or the message might come to you via a DM sent from a “new” account they set up. In the workplace, you might get a message from your boss instructing you to pay someone a large sum from the company account.
These are all signs that something scammy might be afoot. You’ll want to follow up with these people in person or with a quick phone call just to confirm. Reach them in any way other than by replying to the message you received. Even if it looks like a legitimate account. There’s the chance their account was hacked.
How do scammers know how to reach you in the first place? And how do they seem to know just enough about you to cook up a convincing story? Clever scammers have resources, and they’ll do their homework. You can give them far less to work with by taking the following steps.
Online data brokers hoard all kinds of personal information about individuals. And they’ll sell it to anyone. That includes scammers. Data brokers gather it from multiple sources, such as public records and third parties that have further information like browsing histories and shopping histories (think your supermarket club card). With that information, a scammer can sound quite convincing—like they know you in some way or where your interests lie. You can get this information removed so scammers can’t get their hands on it. Our Personal Data Cleanup scans some of the riskiest data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info. It also provides guidance on how you can remove your data from those sites and with select products, it can even manage the removal for you.
Needless to say, social media says a lot about you and what you’re into. You already know that because you put a part of yourself out there with each post—not to mention a record of the groups, pages, and things that you follow or like. All this provides yet more grist for a scammer’s mill when it comes time for them to concoct their stories. Setting your accounts to private takes your posts out of the public eye, and the eye of potential scammers too. This can help reduce your risk of getting conned.
Scammers throw all kinds of bogus links at people in the hope they’ll click and wind up on their scammy websites. They’ll also send attachments loaded with malware—a payload that contains ransomware, spyware, or viruses. If you get a message about one of your accounts, a shipment, or anything that involves your personal or financial info, confirm the sender. Did the message come from a legitimate address or account? Or was the address spoofed or the account a fake? For example, some scammers create social media accounts to pose as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS doesn’t contact people through social media. If you have a concern about a message or account, visit the site in question by typing it in directly instead of clicking on the link in the message. Access your information from there or call their customer service line.
The combination of these two things makes it tough for scammers to crack your accounts. Even if they somehow get hold of your password, they can’t get into your account without the multifactor authentication number (usually sent to your phone in some form). A password manager as part of comprehensive online protection software can help you create and securely store those strong, unique passwords. Also, never give your authentication number to anyone after you receive it. Another common scammer trick is to masquerade as a customer service rep and ask you to send that number to them.
This is the one piece of advice scammers don’t want you to have, let alone follow. They count on you getting caught up in the moment—the emotion of it all. Once again, emotions, urgency, and human nature are all key components in any social engineering con. The moment you stop and think about the message, what it’s asking of you, and the way it’s asking you for it, will often quickly let you know that something is not quite right. Follow up. A quick phone call or face-to-face chat can help you from getting conned.
The post Social Engineering—The Scammer’s Secret Weapon appeared first on McAfee Blog.
A roundup of some of the handiest tools for the collection and analysis of publicly available data from Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms
The post 5 free OSINT tools for social media appeared first on WeLiveSecurity
The time has come. Your kids are chafing at the bit to get on social media and you can no longer hold them back. But you’re terrified. ‘What if they say the wrong thing? What if they meet some unsavoury types or worst case, what if they get bullied?’ I hear you – everything you are concerned about is completely normal and totally valid. But this is not the time to put your head in the sand people, tempting as it is.
So, make yourself a cuppa. I’m going to run you through the basics so you can get your offspring (and yourself) through this quite significant moment in the best shape possible.
Ah, such a tricky question!! While there is no specific Aussie law that dictates the minimum age kids need to be to join social media, most social media platforms require their users to be 13 years old to set up an account. This is a result of a US federal law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) , which affects any social media platform that US citizens can join. So, therefore it affects nearly all social media platforms worldwide.
But let’s keep it real – most kids join before they are 13. Some do with the consent of their parents, but many don’t. So, if your kids are consulting you on their move into social media, then pat yourself on the back. You’ve done a great job in keeping the lines of communication open and staying relevant. But if yours just charged ahead without involving you (like some of mine did) then it’s still not too late to be part of their journey.
In my opinion, there is no simple answer. A one size fits all approach doesn’t work here. Some kids mature faster than their peers, others may have a bigger dose of emotional intelligence and instinctively understand the ramifications of poor online behaviour. Some kids are more resilient and robust while others are more sensitive. There are so many things to consider when advising but ultimately, this is your call as a parent.
This is where many of us can come unstuck because it can feel so overwhelming knowing where to start. But don’t worry – I’ve got you. I’m going to give you 5 things that you can action that will make a huge difference to your kids’ online safety. And these strategies are relevant to all of us parents – regardless of whether your kids are new to social media or old hands!
I can’t stress enough just how important it is to have real conversations with your kids about all aspects of their lives, including the digital part. Asking them what they do online, why they like a certain app and who they play online games with are just some of the ways of starting a conversation. I am also a fan of sharing details of your online life with them too. Whether its sharing new apps with my kids, funny posts, or relevant news articles, I think if I regularly demonstrate that I get social media then I generate a little ‘tech cred’. And when you’ve got ‘tech cred’, they are more likely to come to you when things aren’t going swimmingly. And that’s exactly what we want as parents!
I love the idea of a clear contract between parents and kids that details your expectations about their online behaviour and technology use. It’s a great way of developing a set of guidelines that will help them navigate some of the risks and challenges associated with being online. Now, this agreement should be a family exercise so ensure your kids are invested in the process too. If you want a starting point, check out this one from The Modern Parent here.
Without a doubt, one of the most powerful ways to stay safe online is to ensure you have super duper passwords for each of your online accounts. So, take some time to ensure your kids have got this covered. Every online account needs its own individual password that should have no link to your child’s name, school, family, or favourite pet. I’m a big fan of a crazy sentence – I find they are easier to remember. If you include at least one capital letter, a few numbers, and symbols then you’re doing well. Password managers can be a great way of remembering and also generating complex passwords. These can be a godsend when your list of online accounts grows. All you need to do is remember the master password. How good!
And ensure they know to NEVER share passwords. Tell them that passwords are like toothbrushes – never to be shared! That always worked with my boys!
Unless you are proactive, privacy settings on social media platforms will remain on the default setting which usually means public. Now, this means that anyone who has access to the internet can view the posts and photos that you share whether you want them to or not. Now, this is not ideal for anyone but particularly not a young tween who is trying to find their feet online.
So, take some time to help your kids turn activate the privacy settings on all their online accounts. Turning their profile to private will give them more control over who can see their content and what people can tag them in.
There is some amazing technology that can really help you, help your kids stay safe. Installing security software on your kids’ devices is essential. McAfee+, McAfee’s new ‘all in one’ privacy, identity and device protection is a fantastic way to ensure all your family members are protected online. It features identity monitoring and a password manager but also an unlimited VPN, a file shredder, protection score and parental controls. A complete no brainer!
My absolute hope is that your kids’ social media career is smooth sailing. However, with four kids of my own, I know that curveballs and challenges are often inevitable. But if you’ve developed an open line of communication with your kids and possibly even generated a little ‘tech cred’, then it is likely they will reach out to you if things go awry.
Depending on the issue they are experiencing, you may just need to talk them through the situation. Perhaps they need help understanding they should have expressed something in a less inflammatory way or that they may be over-reacting to a comment. It may be helpful for you to work with them to develop an action plan or formulate a response to someone who is perhaps being a bit tricky.
But if they have experienced behaviour that you consider to be unacceptable, then you may need to take further action. I always recommend taking screen shots of concerning behaviour online. These may be important if you need to take further action down the track. Once you’ve taken screen shots, then block the person who is causing your child grief. You can also report the behaviour to the social media platform. If the perpetrator goes to the same school as your child, then I would approach the school and ask them to assist. If the situation is super serious, you can always report it to the Office of our ESafety Commissioner in Australia or the Police who can both work with social media platforms.
Congratulations! You have completed the basic course in social media parenting. I know letting them go can feel quite terrifying, but I know that if you cover off the basics and keep talking to them, then you’re setting them up for success online.
Over to you now, mum and dad!
Good luck!
Alex
The post 5 Minute Parent’s Guide to Social Media appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It’s no secret that when it comes to social networks, teen preferences can change dramatically from year to year. That holds with Twitter. Even though the social network has seen a dip in use overall, Twitter has proven its staying power among certain communities, and that includes teens.
According to a 2022 Pew Center Study, 23 percent of teens online use Twitter (down from 33 percent in 2014-15). Because of Twitter’s loyal fanbase, it’s important for tweeting teens as well as parents, and caregivers to understand how to engage safely on the fast-moving platform.
Many teens love the public aspect of Twitter. They see it as a fun place to connect with friends and stay up to date on sports, school news, memes, online trends and challenges, and popular culture. However, because the platform’s brief, 140–280-word format is so distinct from other popular networks such as TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, the online etiquette and ground rules for engagement are also distinct.
As fun as Twitter content is to share and consume, the platform still comes with hidden risks (as do all social networks).
Here’s a guide to help your family understand safe Twitter use and still have fun on this unique social network.
This is likely one of the most important phrases you can convey to your child when it comes to using Twitter. Every word shared online can have positive or negative repercussions. Twitter’s fast-moving, ticker-like feed can tempt users to underestimate the impact of an impulsive, emotionally charged tweet. Words—digital words especially—can cause harm to the reputation of the person tweeting or to others.
For this reason, consider advising your kids to be extra careful when sharing their thoughts or opinions, retweeting others, or responding to others’ tweets. We all know too well that content shared carelessly or recklessly online can affect future college or career opportunities for years to come.
There’s little more important these days than protecting your family’s privacy. Every online risk can be traced to underestimating the magnitude of this single issue.
It’s never too early or too late to put the right tools in place to protect your family’s privacy online. While Twitter has privacy and reporting features designed to protect users, it’s wise to add a comprehensive identity and privacy protection solution to protect your family’s devices and networks.
Kids get comfortable with their online communities. This feeling of inclusion and belonging can lead to oversharing personal details. Discuss the importance of keeping personal details private online reminding your kids to never share their full name, address, phone number, or other identity or location-revealing details. This includes discerning posting photos that could include signage, school or workplace logos, and addresses. In addition, advise family members not to give away data just because there’s a blank. It’s wise to only share your birthday month and day and keep your birth year private.
When is the last time you reviewed social media account settings with your child? It’s possible that, over time, your child may have eased up on their settings. Privacy settings on Twitter are easy to understand and put in place. Your child’ can control their discoverability, set an account to be public or private, and protect their tweets from public search. It’s easy to filter out unwanted messages, limit messages from people you don’t follow, and limit who can see your Tweets or tag you in photos. It’s also possible to filter the topics you see.
Respecting others is foundational to engaging on any social network. This includes honoring the beliefs, cultures, traditions, opinions, and choices of others. Cyberbullying plays out in many ways on Twitter and one of those ways is by subtweeting. This vague form of posting is a form of digital gossip. Subtweeting is when one Twitter user posts a mocking or critical tweet that alludes to another Twitter user without directly mentioning their name. It can be cruel and harmful. Discuss the dangers of subtweeting along with the concept of empathy. Also, encourage your child to access the platform’s social media guidelines and know how to unfollow, block, and report cyberbullies on Twitter.
Maintaining a strong parent-child bond is essential to your child’s mental health and the first building block of establishing strong online habits. Has your child’s mood suddenly changed? Are they incessantly looking at their phone? Have their grades slipped? An online conflict, a risky situation, or some type of bullying may be the cause. You don’t have to hover over your child’s social feeds every day, but it’s important to stay involved in their daily life to support their mental health. If you do monitor their social networks, be sure to check the tone and intent of comments, captions, and replies. You will know bullying and subtweeting when you see it.
We love to quote Spiderman’s uncle Ben Parker and remind families that “with great power comes great responsibility” because it sums up technology ownership and social media engagement perfectly. The more time kids spend online, the more comfortable they can become and the more lapses in judgment can occur. Consider discussing (and repeating often) that social media isn’t a right, it’s a privilege that carries responsibility and consequences.
The FBI estimates there are approximately 500,000 predators active online each day and that they all have multiple profiles. Anonymous, catfish, and fake accounts abound online wooing even the savviest digital native into an unsafe situation. Engaging on any social network can expose kids to a wide array of possible dangers including scammers, catfishes, and predators. Scams and predator tactics continue to get more sophisticated. For this reason, it’s important to candidly talk about online predator awareness and the ever-evolving tactics bad actors will go to deceive minors online.
Twitter continues to attract tweens and teens who appreciate its brevity and breaking news. While navigating online safety and social media can be daunting for parents, it’s critical to stay engaged with your child and understand their digital life. By establishing an open flow of communication and regularly discussing privacy and appropriate online behavior, you can create a culture of openness in your family around important issues. We’re rooting for you!
The post How to Protect Your Family’s Privacy on Twitter: A Guide for Parents and Kids appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hacked – here’s what to know about, and how to avoid, threats lurking on the social media juggernaut
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As TikTok CEO attempts to placate U.S. lawmakers, it’s time for us all to think about the wealth of personal information that TikTok and other social media giants collect about us
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