Micron Associates captures the dark side of Social Media into its brightest
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Social creature is what peoples are preferred to be called now. Due to the fact that we are wired onto such social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and have capitalized on this to great success. According to Micron Associates group of Professionals, Facebook draws 175 million logins each day which gives them a statement of being great.
However, with this great prominence comes a dark side too. Let us stand with the fact that virus writers and other cybercriminals go where the numbers are, more likely the popular social media sites. So, Micron Associates put together this list of the top 5 social media scams where peoples can get into with a no predetermined time.
Hidden URLs
Beware of blindly clicking on shortened URLs. Youâll see them everywhere on Twitter, but you never know where youâre going to go since the URL (âUniform Resource Locator,â the Web address) hides the full location. Clicking on such a link could direct you to your intended site, or one that installs all sorts of malware on your computer. Short URL can be quite useful. Just beware of their potential pitfalls, and make sure you have real-time protection against spyware and viruses.
Phishing Requests
âSomebody just put up these pictures of you drunk at this wild party! Check âem out here!â Huh? Let me see that! Immediately, you click on the enclosed link, which takes you to your Twitter or Facebook login page. There, you enter your account info-and a cybercriminal now has your password, along with total control of your account. How did this happen? Both the email and landing page were sham. That link you clicked took you to a page that only looked like your intended social site. Itâs called phishing, and youâve just been had. To prevent this, make sure your Internet security includes anti-phishing defenses. Many freeware programs donât include this essential protection.
Hidden Charges
âWhat type of STAR WARS character are you? Find out with our quiz! All of your friends have taken it!â Hmm, this sounds interesting, so you enter your info and cell number, as instructed. After a few minutes, a text turns up. It turns out youâre more Yoda than Darth Vader. Well, thatâs interestingâŚbut not as much as your next monthâs cell bill will be. Youâve also just unawares subscribed to some dubious monthly service that charges $9.95 every month. As it turns out, that âfree, fun serviceâ is neither. Be wary of these bait and switch games. They tend to thrive on social sites.
Cash Grabs
By their very nature, social media sites make it easy for us to stay in touch with friends, while reaching out to meet new ones. But how well do you really know these new acquaintances? That person with the attractive profile picture who just friended youâand suddenly needs money-is probably some cybercriminal looking for easy cash. Think twice before acting. In fact, the same advice applies even if you know the person.Picture this: You just received an urgent request from one of your real friends who âlost his wallet on vacation and needs some cash to get home.â So, being the helpful person you are, you send some money right away, per his instructions. But thereâs a problem: your friend never sent this request. In fact, he isnât even aware of it. His malware-infected computer grabbed all of his contacts and forwarded the bogus email to everyone, waiting to see who would bite. Again, think before acting. Call your friend. Inform him of the request and see if itâs true. Next, make sure your computer isnât infected as well.
Chain Letters
Youâve likely seen this one beforeâthe dreaded chain letter has returned. It may appear in the form of, âRetweet this and Bill Gates will donate $5 million to charity!â But hold on, letâs think about this. Bill Gates already does a lot for charity. Why would he wait for something like this to take action? Answer: He wouldnât. Both the cause and claim are sham. So why would someone post this? Good question. It could be some prankster looking for a laugh, or a spammer needing âfriendsâ to hit up later. Many well-meaning people pass these fake claims onto others. Break the chain and inform them of the likely ruse.
So Micron Associates recommends you to always bear in mind that any sites that attract a significant number of visitors are going to lure in a criminal element, too. Norton Internet Security offers the comprehensive protection you need to defend yourself against all of these dangers. With it, you can surf with confidence.
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