Social media users have increased across all platforms over the years. According to Statista, 4.76 social media users are across all the platforms, i.e., Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. Users share different information on these platforms, like photos, thoughts, videos, wishes, and articles.
When creating social media accounts, it requests sensitive information like full name, date of birth, email address, phone number, etc. Identity theft happens when hackers and other cybercriminals access and use our personal information for their benefit, like committing fraud, etc. The guide will make you understand identity theft and several ways to protect social media accounts from such acts.
What Is Social Media Identity Theft?
Social media identity theft involves people with malicious intentions using someone else account to create social media accounts. After creating the accounts, they plan different malicious activities, i.e., phishing and social engineering your friends, running different financial crimes, spreading ransomware attacks using the account, asking for donations from your friends, etc.
After committing all these crimes, the authorities will look for the criminal and come for you. To prevent such scenarios, users must do their best to keep their social media identities safe. Some hackers sell your information on different platforms for other people to use your details after having access.
How Common Is Social Media Identity Theft?
Accordion to Comparitech, in 2021, American citizens lost 56 billion dollars to social media identity theft. The main age group targeted mostly were children as they feel they have credit cards and Social Security numbers, which are good for fraud. Around 1 million children got affected by the same issue in 2020.
There is a huge increase in social media identity theft due to increased cybercrime. They also deployed other methods, like ransomware attacks, as getting more victims who could not afford to pay the ransom was easier. They later took all the data and sold it to the dark web.
Other theft cases result from increased data reach, which nowadays happens regularly. Most hackers have learned better ways of bypassing any security and protections set up by organizations and businesses. Companies face millions and billions of losses every time there is a data breach due to fines and loss of crucial company assets.
How Does a Social Media Identity Theft Happen?
There are several ways how cybercriminals access your personal information for social media identity theft. You can avoid most of the ways by following the practices discussed below. Some of the common ways include:
1. Phishing
It involves hackers sending emails and other messages pretending that the message is coming from a reputable organization. They can also do the same by using a phone; they call you and tell you which prompts to follow.
The email can make you share sensitive personal information like security numbers, email, full names, and other credentials. They go and create social media accounts and start carrying out different crimes.
2. Data breaches
It happens when cybercriminals attack databases of large companies or businesses that collect personal information and other data from customers. Once they access the data, they sell it on platforms where users can buy and use them to create accounts, or they use them to create fake social media accounts by themselves.
3. Malware and ransomware
Opening up a phishing email and visiting unprotected websites can make you install malware or ransomware, which normally behaves as normal software. The commonly used one is a Key Logger, which steals all your personal information. Ransomware asks you to make a payment for you to have access to your files.
4. Lost items
Some users have wallets and phones carrying important information when visiting a certain place. Some users carry their social security cards, copies of their identity cards, bank cards, etc. If you lose your wallet or someone snatches your phone, a person then has access to a lot of information. They use the data to create social media accounts to personate you.
5. Hacking
Cybercriminals have different methods of accessing your social media accounts and getting the important information they need. They can hack different sites, applications, and services and have access to the users’ information, which they use to create fake social media accounts.
Some common ways they use is for those who like free and Public WIFI. It gives them access to your details easily by spying on your movements and can have access to your information, which they can later use for account creation.
6. Using your public information
Sometimes criminals may face difficulty in accessing your personal information. They clone the pictures and names you use on your account to create a similar account. They later engage with your friends and family, asking them to help with a donation or a charity event or even convince them you are stuck and need financial help. Some of the families fall for this trick, and when they realize you are not the one, it is too late.
How to Prevent Social Media Identity Theft?
Practicing security measures does not mean you are safe from being a victim, but it gives the criminals a hard time impersonating you. Some of the common practices to follow include:
1. Use strong passwords and authentication
Use a strong password when creating your social media accounts. Set up a strong password policy, i.e., the password must contain an uppercase, lowercase, a number, more than ten characters, and a special character. It will give hackers a hard time when they try to hack or crack it.
Install authenticator applications that generate codes for you whenever someone else tries accessing your account. It blocks anyone with ill intentions from keeping your account safe. It stops you from relying on the security questions provided by the social media provider, and some are easier to crack.
You can also ensure that every time you login into your account, it sends you an OTP. If someone would like to access your account, he will have to input the OTP, which they automatically don’t have.
2. Hide your location
All social media platforms allow users to tag their location when creating a post, video, or article. It displays a lot of information to the public, and hackers can take advantage of that and harm you. Learn to avoid it no matter where you are it is not the right thing to do.
3. Use Privacy Settings
All social media platforms have privacy settings where you can select the information you want to hide from the public. Some personal information you can hide includes birth year, email address, full name, etc. You can allow a few people amongst your connections to view them.
When you secure your privacy settings, it limits and blocks any hacker who plans to collect and use your information for other fraud and criminal activities.
4. Avoid keeping your information public or oversharing
When creating a social media account on any platform, avoid providing a lot of information like birthdays, schools you went to, about you, your cars, where you live, etc. When social media platforms ask for such information, skip and avoid them. It saves you from hackers who are ready to collect and use your personal information for malicious activities, i.e., crime. A generalized profile is enough to protect yourself as it provides the criminal with many challenges getting your data.
5. Accept connections from the people you know
Social media can be a strange place sometimes, whereby even those who don’t know you send friends or connection requests. Only connect with people you know personally, and you may have ever met. Connecting with a stranger gives cybercriminals more time and a chance to understand who you are, what you do, and your situation, and they can manipulate you with offers.
Some can start sending you phishing links to inform you of job offers and other money gifts. When you fall for such a trap, they will have enough information from you to use for identity theft.
6. Ensure the websites you visit have an SSL Certificate installed
When browsing the internet, ensure all the websites you visit have an SSL certificate. Visiting websites without one can be risky and expose you to cyber criminals. SSL certificate ensures that the information that travels between the server and the browser will remain secret. Besides SSL cert, ensure you have updated antivirus software installed on your computer.
What to do if you become a victim of Social Media Identity Theft
One can take several steps if one realizes they are a victim of social media identity theft. The steps include:
- File theft cases with government bodies to help you do investigations.
- Report all the social media accounts impersonating you.
- Close your social media accounts.
- Change your passwords and introduce multi-factor authentication.
Conclusion
Everyone risks being a victim of social media identity threats. You must follow the abovementioned practices to keep your accounts safe from hackers. Protection method varies, and most of them can incur fewer costs. Users must get more information about social media and how they should address all security and privacy concerns. If you become a victim, take all the measures and report the accounts to the relevant authorities to avoid much trouble in the future.
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