The majority of us interact with some form of social media on a daily basis. Whether we use it for business or staying connected with friends, it is quickly becoming such an integral part of our daily lives. Given the growing constant prevalence of social media, an alarming statistic has arisen from a recent report from RSA security. The 2019 report, which was published in a recent CNET article, stated that fraud attacks on social media have increased by 43% in the past year. Cybercriminals have been carrying out criminal activities on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp due to their low costs and ease of use.
It’s easy to get overly comfortable with something you do, or use every day, but this recent rise in criminal activity across social media platforms should serve as a warning and reminder that cybercriminals are lurking. A few friendly reminders are as follows:
- Always be suspicious of any solicitation that appears to be too good to be true, even if it comes from a friend, and run your mouse over links that are sent to you and make sure the URL matches up with the actual website of the vendor it claims to be directing you to.
- Consider using an alternate phone number (which can be given to you via Google Voice or TextFree) when filling out contact information forms while making purchases. This will help prevent port-out scams and two-factor authentication fraud.
- Use strong passwords. If you’re worried about remembering multiple complex passwords, consider using a password manager such as LastPass.
As always, OptfinITy is happy to answer any questions you may have regarding technology. If you have any questions or concerns about staying safe on social media, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 703-790-0400 or shoot us an email at info@optfinity.com.
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