Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter have made it much easier to interact with friends and co-workers but they’ve also made things much easier for scammers looking for their next target.
After analyzing data from a full year of attacks on social media, Norton Labs has released a new report (opens in new tab) highlighting the top phishing lures used to take over user accounts and steal funds from unsuspecting users.
Head of technology at NortonLifeLock, Darren Shou provided further details in a press release (opens in new tab) on why social media is frequently used by scammers to reach their victims, saying:
“Threat actors use social media for phishing attacks because it’s a low-effort and high return way to target billions of people around the world. As social media is intertwined in our daily lives, it’s key to know how to spot the signs of a scam, and keep a sharp eye on where requests for your information are coming from. Even better, consider strong, multi-layered security that can be on the lookout for you.”
The most common tactic scammers use to steal your login details involves creating fake websites that have a similar name and appearance to official social media login pages. According to Norton Labs, this template is used to fool users into believing a page is legitimate and after entering their credentials, scammers can then access their profile to send spam or launch additional attacks.
