Common Twitter scams and how to protect yourself against them
Common Twitter scams and how to protect yourself against them
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Now that you have your Twitter account set up and you are ready to use it, it’s time to learn about some common scams on Twitter and what you can do to protect yourself against them.
Start activityPhishing scams
A phishing scam is any scam that aims to fool people into disclosing personal and private information, such as passwords, bank details, tax file numbers or any other details.
Phishing scammers employ a range of tactics to get your information, but the most common way is to get you to click or tap on a link that takes you to a page that looks like the Twitter sign-in page. The idea is that you won’t recognise this page as being a copy of the Twitter sign-in page, and that you’ll enter your username and password which will then be recorded by the scammer.
Protecting yourself against phishing scams
Protecting yourself from a phishing scam comes down to being wary of links that people send you. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t know the person, or company then do not click on the link!
If you have clicked on the link, check that the web page you’re looking at is legitimate by checking the URL, or address, in the address bar. For instance, Twitter’s legitimate web address is https://twitter.com.
A bogus web page that is made to look like Twitter’s sign-in page is likely to have a different URL.
Money-making scams
Some scammers craft elaborate stories to get you to give them money. They may set up a fake Twitter account to pose as someone you know, then share a story of hardship and ask for money to help.
Other examples include scammers telling you that you’ve won a competition and that you need to send them some personal details in order to claim your prize.
Protecting yourself against money-making scams
When it comes to competitions or special deals you learn about on Twitter, if it seems to good to be true, it often is. If someone tells you that you’ve won a competition that you didn’t enter into, then it is likely a scam. Simply ignore the message and report the user to Twitter.
If a Twitter user claiming to be someone you know contacts you requesting money, it is a good idea to pick up the phone and call this person to see if it’s really them who is making the request.
Viruses and spyware
Similar to a phishing scam, some scammers will send you messages with links to click on. Often these sources look like legitimate companies or people you may know, but in fact they are not. When you click on these links, various viruses and spyware can be installed onto your device or computer, often without you knowing.
Protecting yourself against viruses and spyware
If you do not recognise or know the person or company who has sent you the link, do not click on it! Many reputable businesses and organisations will never send you a link to click on via a message or email.
In addition, you should ensure that your device or computer has the latest antivirus software installed to help protect you from attack.
Congratulations!
Nice work, you have just completed the Common Twitter scams and how to protect yourself against them activity.
This now brings you to the end of the An introduction to Twitter course. If you’re a registered user, you can now complete a short quiz to test your learning. If you’re not registered, this is now the end of this course.
