Common scams on Instagram and TikTok

They use social media such as Instagram and TikTok to reach numerous potential victims. In addition, they are platforms used by people of many ages, but mainly by young people. And yes, although it may seem otherwise, it is precisely young people who make the most mistakes on the Internet.

False prizes or discounts

The first thing they usually use are fake prizes or discount coupons. Basically, they indicate that we have won something. Also, that we have access to a discount to buy on Amazon or any platform. This can attract attention and provoke the victim to click. In fact, this is when the problem really starts.

This can be used to steal passwords or make the victim download a malicious file. The latter may contain malware capable of stealing passwords, personal data or causing system malfunction.

Official accounts that are fake

They may also use fake accounts that pretend to be official. For example, they could impersonate a store, a bank or any other platform or entity. When dealing with an official account, we are more likely to provide certain information. It also happens that we relax, thinking that there is no risk at all.

But of course, we are not really interacting with an official profile, but with an impersonation. Therefore, be very careful with giving any kind of information. Even if it seems that you are talking to an official company account. Always check the profile very well and hesitate to any strange request.

Fake applications

Of course, we must also name the fake Instagram or TikTok applications. We’re not just talking about the main program, the one you use to log in. Actually, we are talking about some add-ons that you can install. They can be additional applications to get certain enhancements, edit photos, videos, etc.

Our advice is to always install software from official sources. Beware of third party sites, as it could be a trap. Check very well that the applications are up-to-date.

Links per message

Another type of scam through Instagram or TikTok is simply sending a link through a message. That link can be a trap. This is a classic phishing attack. You could be invited to access a page to solve a problem. It is also possible that they offer you to get a prize or make a necessary change.

This could be a trap and you could lose your account. Whenever you have the slightest doubt, it is best not to open a link. It may even be fake if it is sent to you by a trusted contact, as it may have previously suffered an attack.

As you can see, these are the main strategies that cybercriminals can use to steal your passwords through TikTok, Instagram, and other social networks. It is important that you take preventive measures, that you have a good antivirus, and especially that you avoid making mistakes. This way you can avoid possible scams. Bye!

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Nowadays, the vast majority of us use social networks to keep in touch with friends and family. Social media like Facebook or Instagram are the order of the day. However, they are also the target of cybercriminals to get hold of our profile and infect our contacts with malware. For this reason, it is essential to adequately protect our social networks. In addition to avoid putting ourselves at risk. We can even put all our contacts at risk. Indeed, they could damage and also infect their smartphones.

Steps to protect social media

If you want to prevent your social media accounts from being hacked, it is essential that you take certain measures. You must make sure you have everything in perfect condition. You should also take care of the security of both the account and the device you are going to use. Therefore, check these steps to avoid problems.

Use strong passwords

The first thing is to use passwords that are really secure. Avoid passwords that you can memorize. In fact, it’s a bad sign. You should never use your name, date of birth or anything similar that is easy to remember. Ideally, it should be completely random. That is, it should contain letters (both upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols.

Also, you should not have the same password for a long time. It is best to change it from time to time. This way, you make sure you always have a reliable password. That is to say, that it has not been leaked or has any vulnerability. Although there is no specific date, we can say that if you change it once a month, it is better than once a year.

A good idea is to use a password manager. There are many, such as LastPass, KeePass, 1Password. However, beyond allowing you to store your passwords, many of them also have the function of generating very secure passwords. Some of them can also be configured to alert you when a certain period of time has passed. For example, it can be 4 or 6 months, and force you to change the password to make it totally secure again.

Enabling two-step authentication

But beyond the password, something very important to avoid intruders on social networks is to enable two-step authentication. It is an extra security barrier that will prevent you from having problems in case someone manages to find out the password. In order to get in, you would need a second step. That second step is usually a code that you receive by SMS. However, it could also be through a 2FA application. What you’re really doing is verifying that you’re the person responsible for that account and that it’s not an intrusion. This is something that is already present in social networks like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Protect your devices

In addition, security must always be present on the devices you use to access social networks. This means that you should not access any website or social network if your smartphone is infected. It does not matter if you are going to enter from the computer or from the mobile. In fact, it is essential in all cases to have the system well protected. It is also good to install a good antivirus like Microsoft Defender on your Windows operating system. In the same way, you have to make sure you have updated your device to avoid vulnerabilities.

When logging in to social networks, always do so from a browser that is protected. Although you can also do it from the official application. Never log in from external links or programs other than the official ones. These programs should also be properly updated. Indeed, they may have some vulnerability and that could be a weak point that attackers can exploit.

Be careful where you log in

Another factor to consider is where you log in to your social networks. You should avoid public networks. For example, the Wi-Fi in an airport or shopping mall. In those places you never know who might be behind it or if the network is really reliable. Nor do we know if it has any vulnerabilities or any problems. It is better to use the 4G or 5G mobile network, rather than a Wi-Fi connection that is not secure.

However, you can always connect if you use a VPN that encrypts the connection. In this way, security is increased. In addition, there is no risk of your personal information being leaked on this type of public network. Some examples of VPNs are ExpressVPN or NordVPN. They are available for computers and also for mobile devices, both free and for a fee. As for VPN services that are totally free and work really well, here are a couple of examples. I am talking about Cloudflare with its WARP and the Google One VPN, two options to be taken into account. In the second case, you need to be a Google One subscriber to be able to access the VPN service. Otherwise, you will simply not have access.

As you can see, you can take into account these steps to protect your social networks. Use a good password, enable two-step authentication, have your devices protected. In addition to avoiding public networks, are some essential points to keep in mind. You can always detect intruders on social networks.

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