Social media have become an integral part of everyday life, but at the same time, they represent an environment in which various forms of fraud and abuse are increasingly occurring.
Scams can take different forms — from fake profiles and fake prize competitions, to fraudulent advertisements for the sale of products, as well as messages requesting personal information, payment card details, or money transfers.
Scams in which the perpetrator impersonates a friend, family member, public figure, or another institution are particularly common.
How Can We Recognize a Scam?
Particular caution is required when a message or advertisement:
- demands an urgent payment of money;
- contains a suspicious link leading to an unknown website;
- requests payment card details, passwords, or verification codes;
- contains a suspicious link directing the user to an unknown website;
- originates from profiles that appear to be inauthentic.
Artificial intelligence has become a new tool used by scammers.
With the help of AI tools, it is possible to create convincing content and messages that appear to originate from a person or company the user trusts.
Particularly risky are scams in which the voice or appearance of a close person or a bank representative is imitated, accompanied by a request for an urgent payment or the disclosure of personal or financial information.
Scams on social media are often also connected with the misuse of personal data.
Photographs, names, contact details, and other personal data may be used without the knowledge or consent of the person concerned, including for the creation of fake profiles and impersonation.
For this reason, it is important to pay attention to what information is published on social media and who is given access to personal data.
In cases where there is a suspicion of unlawful processing or misuse of personal data, protection may also be sought before the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection. The Commissioner supervises the implementation of the Personal Data Protection Act, while a person whose data are being processed has the right, in accordance with the law, to request access to their data, their rectification or erasure, and to lodge a complaint with the Commissioner if they believe that their rights have been violated.
This form of protection may be particularly important in cases involving the creation of fake profiles or the unauthorized use of photographs, names, contact details, or other personal data. In addition to contacting the Commissioner, the person concerned may take other legal measures, depending on the circumstances of the particular case.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Before opening a link, making a payment, or providing personal information, it is necessary to verify who the sender is and whether the offer is authentic.
Passwords should be changed regularly, different passwords should be used for different accounts, and two-factor authentication (2FA) should be enabled whenever available.
Communications, advertisements, profiles, links, and payment confirmations should be preserved, particularly if there is a suspicion that a scam has occurred.
It is very important not to open suspicious links or download files from unverified sources.
What Should You Do If You Have Been Scammed?
If a scam has already occurred, it is important to act as quickly as possible. All relevant evidence should be preserved, including messages, screenshots, links, profile information, advertisements, telephone numbers, as well as payment confirmations or other information that may be relevant to determining the circumstances of the scam.
If an unauthorized transaction or misuse of a payment card has occurred, the bank should be notified without delay and appropriate measures should be taken to protect the account and funds. The disputed profile, advertisement, or content should also be reported to the social media platform on which the scam occurred.
Depending on the manner in which they are committed, scams carried out through social media may constitute a form of high-tech crime. The Law on the Organization and Jurisdiction of State Authorities in Combating High-Tech Crime regulates the organization and jurisdiction of special state authorities responsible for the detection, criminal prosecution, and trial of criminal offenses in which computers, computer systems, computer networks, or computer data appear as the object or means of commission.
The Special Department for Combating High-Tech Crime and the competent authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs play an important role in detecting and prosecuting such criminal offenses. Therefore, in addition to reporting the disputed content to the social media platform, it is important to consider contacting the competent state authorities when there is a suspicion that a criminal offense has been committed.
Timely reporting may be important for the collection and preservation of electronic evidence, establishing the identity of the perpetrator, and taking other actions in accordance with the law. Therefore, the injured party should not delete messages, conversations, profiles, advertisements, or other data that may constitute evidence.
Depending on the circumstances of the particular case, different forms of legal protection may be available. A timely response, proper preservation of evidence, notifying the bank, reporting the disputed content, and contacting the competent authorities are important steps in protecting the rights and interests of the injured party.
Prevention and caution when using social media, together with a timely response when a scam occurs, represent the basic measures for reducing risks and protecting against the consequences of high-tech crime.
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