Skip to main content

SOME OF THE WAYS PEOPLE GET SCAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

social media is no doubt a positive addition to the great things technology has brought us. It has helped us in communicating, and having fun, but there are a lot of bad people who lurk behind different social media profiles looking to scam and defraud unsuspecting people. Some of us are already aware of some of the tactics used by these fraudsters, but there are a lot more people who are unaware of some of their techniques. So here’s a quick summary of some of the common ways social media fraudsters operate.

ROMANCE

This is like the easiest and most popular tactic used by scammers and surprisingly people fall for it every day, especially ladies. Because women are mostly emotional, anyone can just sweet talk some of them into parting with money once they notice the lady is desperate and in need of love and attention. That doesn’t mean guys don’t fall either. Scammers now use female profile pictures to fool guys as well and get money from them. Some scammers are well organised and they have females working for them, and answering the phones to keep their operation ‘real’.

IDENTITY THEFT

Scammers are smart. They can easily steal the identity of someone close to you and start sending you “convincing” private messages and you think you’re dealing with the right person. But before you realise it, you would have revealed your personal details to them.

ASKING FOR HELP

Humans are emotional and will always help each other. It’s very good to help others but the sad irony is, scammers use this method a lot especially on social media. They tell touching stories that may be nothing more than a well garnished lie just to play with your emotions get you to part with your money. It is sad, but this tactic is very common.

PHISHING

They send e-mails and more e-mails to remind you that your subscription will soon expire. This seems obvious, but with more and more companies offering real support on social media, it is near impossible that a bank or reputable organisation would ask you for your account number or other private information in social media. Do not fall for fraudsters hiding behind a laptop (or phone)!

MONEY LAUNDERING

Scammers are scammers because they’re good at tricking people. People have gotten into trouble by just helping others receiving money and withdrawing it for them, or allowing someone transfer money into their accounts. They often come up with different stories including that they’ve “exceeded” their withdrawal limit or their “wife is in labour” and they can’t afford to wait on the line. The risky thing about this is that you don’t even know if the money is being transferred with a stolen ATM card, etc. In which case the bank could automatically block your account and send out an alert on you, and the moment you walk into the bank to make a complaint, you get arrested and land in jail.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take care of yourself__"The first wealth is health".

By Strive Masiyiwa  A few weeks ago I went to the doctor. I will tell you what he said about my health at the end, but first read this: Twenty years ago, I arranged to meet a well-known British international businessman who invested a lot in Africa at the time. We agreed to meet for dinner at a leading hotel in London.  After a good meeting, we started to walk out of the restaurant when he suddenly collapsed in the lobby. There was total pandemonium as they rushed to get medical assistance. Being London, an ambulance arrived in minutes. I jumped in the back with him as paramedics wrestled to keep him alive. He had had a heart attack and had to have triple bypass heart surgery. Sadly he died a few weeks later. He hadn't been sick and his sudden death surprised everyone. And yet as I reflected on it, and later discussed it with a doctor friend who knew him, I realized he was very laid back about his health despite having a hectic business life. Even during our dinner...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mulolongo is not just a place.

Mulolongo is not just a place. It's a whole syllabus. And deep within its curriculum is a tiny street called Zambarau where meat is sold both day and night. By day, Zambarau is a heaven of nyama. Smoke rises like prayers as meat sizzles on grills. You can find it in stew, dry fry, grilled or even boiled for the toothless. But when darkness announces its arrival, the meat form changes. It’s still meat, yes, but this one is served somewhat raw. Colourful, tender and priced depending on texture, origin, and freshness. The most popular evening meat here is called pig Porko. Everyone in Zambarau street and its tributaries knows pig meat, Porko. It is well supplied, comes in different packages and is available all night till morning. On a certain Friday evening, Katomo walked into Mulolongo feeling like a tycoon. After working for three solid weeks smoothing walls in Kalangaita, the foreman finally remembered him. He was paid a full Ksh 790. Not a coin less. That evening, Kat...
Post a Comment
Read more