Avoid deception! Tricks to know if a social media message is trustworthy
Through social networks, they could trick you and sneak in a virus or steal your passwords. Simply by using platforms like Facebook or Instagram, you are exposed to certain security issues. Therefore, we are going to explain to you what you should do to know if a message is trustworthy or, on the contrary, it could be a scam. We are going to give you a series of tricks so that you can protect yourself.
If you fall into the trap, you could leave all your data on a plate to cybercriminals. They can use very different strategies to find out more about you, more personal information, bank details, access your contacts… Therefore, it is advisable to take measures to avoid problems of any kind when using social networks.
Detect fraudulent messages
Although we focus on social networks like Facebook or Instagram, the truth is that they can reach you fake messages to any platform. Of course, cybercriminals usually use those that have more users, since there they will have a greater probability of success and be able to steal passwords or data.
Check the profile of the sender
The first thing you should do is check profile who sends that message. That will already give you clues as to whether it may be a trap or not, although you should not trust it 100%. Even a contact you trust, such as a family member or friend, could send a dangerous message without you being aware of it. But yes, you can see the profile and have more information.
For example, if you receive a strange message and you are suspicious, you can see if that profile has many contacts, if it has photographs or information that could provide greater reliability. It is quite common to find profiles created just to scam, and it is quickly seen when you see that they hardly have any information or images.
Does it have a link?
You can also analyze the message you have received. Do you have any link? If so, that raises a lot of suspicions. It could be a Phishing attack, where they look for you to click on that link and log in to some platform. By entering your data, it will end up in the hands of hackers.
We recommend that you never click on a link that you cannot trust 100%. It could contain a malicious file or steal your passwords without you realizing it. You can always analyze the security of a link.
Asks you something urgently
Without a doubt, a trick to know if a message on social networks is a scam or not is to see if they ask for something urgently. Normally, they will always tell you that you have to do something quickly. For example, they could say that there has been a problem with an order you are waiting for, with your bank account, or even with that social network.
What they want is that you don't have time to think too much. They want you to act quickly for fear that they will take money from your bank account or send messages in your name on Facebook or Instagram. But of course, really the scam is just that: that you click on a link, download a file or give some type of personal data.
Strange offer or discount
On the other hand, it is also common to receive Offers and discounts which may be a fraud. They are bait, to capture your attention and make you open a link they send you or anything. For example, they could use a supposedly very good offer from Amazon or any platform that is recognized.
In addition, they could send you supposed discount codes through social networks with the same objective. Be careful with this and do not fall into the trap of giving personal data or downloading files that will always be a fraud.
It is best to ignore suspicious messages of this type. You can block these profiles from sending you anything again. If you have fallen into the trap and have logged in or downloaded a file, we recommend that you change your password as soon as possible and run a good antivirus.
