By Ogunfowoke Adeniyi
Social media rules the world. It is the new tech addiction that many young people cannot do without as they spend hours viewing, reading and posting content via the internet. This underscores the importance of social media in today’s world.
As the use of social media rises, there are others out there who are using it to swindle and scam unsuspecting users. In order not to fall for these scams, Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 hotel booking portal reveals some of these scams.
- Fake customer service account
Brands and corporate organisations are now on social media. As such, it has become possible to resolve complaints and get a quick response to questions on social media. Some of these accounts representing corporate institutions are verified while others are not. Hence, the possibility of chatting with a parody customer service handle is high. If you are getting an unsatisfactory response, you should contact their official helpline.
- Comments on popular posts or articles
A particular post or article may generate sizeable comments. Among the comments, you will notice some links directing you to other websites. These links lure you to websites that are either unsafe or offering scandalous services so it is better to ignore such links.
- False online discounts
The false discounts are too fantastic to be true. It is not surprising because it is coming from a parody customer service account. They are not legitimate and you can lose your personal information if you fall for it because you will be asked to fill out forms that require your personal information.
- Online surveys and polls
The rule of thumb is ‘if you do not trust the website, do not visit it’. One of the easiest ways to have your personal information stolen is via online survey and polls. Most fraudulent hackers often tweet or post a dangerous link urging users to complete forms for a survey. You can fill the forms but do not give out information like credit card details.
- Live streaming videos
This is another way of scamming people on social media as more media companies start streaming their shows and movies online. But these links they share on social media lead to fake websites which only ask for data of visitors.
Ogunfowoke Adeniyi, Travel/Technology Writer
Skype: Sleeksavvy
