BINGHAMTON NY – As the holiday season approaches, give-away scams targeting social media users are on the rise, according to a Binghamton University professor and researcher.
The biggest scams aim at unwary online surfers searching for deals and gifts. Binghamton School of Computing Professor Ping Yang says they take advantage of the holidays to promote fake give-aways of luxury items. The list includes expensive Christmas gifts, cars, and even small houses … but don’t be fooled, Yang warns.
The scammers’ three-fold goal is to steal users’ personally identifiable information, trick them into downloading malicious software, or to take their money, Yang reports.
Among newest tactics emerging on Facebook, for example, is one in which scammers ask users to reply with “@highlight” to be considered for a give-away. @highlight is a tagging feature that notifies a user’s friends about posts they find valuable.
“It makes them more visible in others’ feeds, and scammers exploit this feature to make fake giveaways spread quickly across the platform,” she explains.
Although users can report suspected scams on social media, how quickly a platform responds to such complaints often depends on its review process. “Many reports are initially reviewed by automated systems,” Yang adds, but they can “can delay action and allow scam pages to remain active for extended periods before being taken down.”
Protect Yourself! Look for Scammer Red Flags
Yang says the following red flags may indicate a social media give-away is fraudulent. Avoid them to reduce the risk of falling victim to scammers:
- The account is not associated with any legitimate organization. In some cases scammers steal logos, images, or branding from real companies to appear trustworthy;
- The give-away promises high-value items, such as a house or a car, often labeled as a “Christmas gift.” These offers are usually too good to be true;
- The account was created recently and has very few posts or a limited activity history;
- Users are asked to comment using “@highlight” to boost visibility and attract more potential victims; and
- The account directs users to fill out a form requesting personal information, often using shortened URLs to obscure the true destination of the link.
Photo provided by Binghamton University
This article was provided to Travels With The Post by Newswise, a Charlottesville VA-based distributor of university and research association news. Find other Newswise articles here.
TriCounty Area Chamber Welcomes Two Board Members