Scammed in a Scroll: News on Social Media Scams

Social media has changed how people connect, learn, shop, and share their lives. It has also created new opportunities for scammers, who use familiar platforms and convincing tactics to earn trust, collect personal information, and steal money. This article explains how social media scams work, why they are increasing, what new warning signs to watch for, and how users can protect themselves.

It Can Happen to You

For many people, the risk feels distant until it happens to them or to someone familiar. A neighbor might mention a strange message that appeared to come from a cousin. A friend may admit that a “customer service” account asked for a password. These everyday moments show how scams often begin quietly, through ordinary interactions that seem harmless at first.

Why Technology Makes All People Vulnerable

Scammers do not target only one age group. Anyone who uses technology can be exposed to fraud, especially when scams appear through trusted apps, familiar names, or realistic-looking messages. Older adults may face added risk because they may be less familiar with newer scam tactics, less comfortable evaluating suspicious links or profiles, more trusting of personal appeals, or dealing with cognitive changes that make deception harder to identify. Plus, they often have accumulated life savings which appeals to scammers.

A Real Example

One unfortunately real and common example is a grandparent who receives a message that appears to come from a family member saying they are in trouble and need money quickly. The message may use familiar details from public posts, making it sound believable. Even a careful person can feel pressured when the request seems urgent and personal. Learn how to spot signs of grandparent scams as shared by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

What Social Media Is and Why People Use It

Social media refers to online platforms that allow people to create profiles, share content, follow others, and communicate. Popular platforms in the United States include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, and WhatsApp.

These platforms can offer real benefits. They help people stay connected with family and friends, view photos, celebrate milestones, exchange stories, and feel less isolated. Social media can also be a practical learning tool, offering quick access to cooking demonstrations, exercise ideas, language lessons, travel tips, hobby groups, and community news.

A retired teacher, for instance, might join a Facebook cooking group to exchange recipes and find encouragement. Over time, the group becomes part of her daily routine. If a scammer slips into that space with a fake profile or a misleading product offer, the scam feels less like a stranger’s trick and more like a recommendation from a familiar community.

At the same time, everyday sharing can reveal more than people realize. A vacation photo can signal that a home is empty. A pet’s name, birthday, school, or favorite team can help a scammer guess passwords or security-question answers. Even harmless posts can be pieced together to create a detailed picture of someone’s life.

Consider someone who posts vacation photos in real time because they want relatives to enjoy the trip with them. The photos may seem innocent, but they also reveal that the person is away from home. In another case, a birthday post or pet tribute can give scammers clues that later help them guess simple passwords, reset accounts, or impersonate the person more convincingly. It is not a good idea to use easy-to-guess passwords such as ones that contain your pet’s name, your birthdate, or those which are easy to predict like 1-2-3-4-5. Instead, opt for long and complex passwords that use upper case letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and unique characters rather than words and create those which are completely unique for each account.

What Social Media Scams Are

Social media scams are deceptive schemes that use social platforms to trick people into sending money, sharing personal information, clicking unsafe links, buying fake products, or trusting someone who is not who they claim to be. Scammers are often motivated by money, identity theft, account access, or the ability to reach a large audience quickly.

A typical scam may begin with a friendly direct message: “I saw your post and thought you might be interested.” At first, the conversation feels casual. Then the person introduces an investment, a prize, a charity, or a special offer. By the time money or personal information is requested, the scammer has already created a sense of trust.

Common Types of Social Media Scams

• Imposter profiles that pretend to be friends, relatives, celebrities, businesses, or government agencies.
• Romance and friendship scams that build trust over time before asking for money.
• Fake investment or cryptocurrency opportunities promising unusually high returns.
• Online shopping scams that advertise products that are counterfeit, low quality, or never delivered.
• Phishing messages that ask users to click links, verify accounts, or enter passwords.
• Prize, giveaway, Lottery or sweepstakes scams that require a fee or personal information to claim a reward.
• Charity or disaster scams that exploit emergencies, disasters, or emotional stories.

These categories often overlap in real life. Someone might see a fake online store advertised by an imposter page, then receive a phishing message after clicking the ad. Another person may follow a page that appears to represent a favorite public figure, only to be contacted later by a fake account asking for money or personal details.

What’s New: Copycats, Deepfakes, and AI

Social media scams have become more sophisticated. Scammers now create copycat websites, fake business pages, and lookalike profiles that closely resemble legitimate accounts. Some steal a person’s photo, voice, or video image to make a message appear authentic.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is technology that can help computers generate text, images, audio, and video that look or sound real. While AI has many useful applications, scammers can misuse it to blur the line between genuine and fake content. A realistic voice recording, altered photo, or convincing message can make it harder for social media users to know what to trust.

Imagine receiving a short voice message that sounds like a loved one asking for help. The voice may seem familiar, and the request may be urgent. That is why deepfakes and AI-generated messages are so concerning: they can make people react emotionally before they have time to verify the source.

Why Public Figures Warn Their Followers

Public figures often warn their followers because scammers can use a familiar name or image to make fake pages seem trustworthy. For example, influencer Brenda Gantt, a former schoolteacher, chef, artist, Southern cookbook author, and social media personality with millions of Facebook followers, has warned people about fake Facebook pages using her name and likeness. These pages may attract followers, promote products she does not endorse, or attempt to run scams.

Her official page is called Cooking with Brenda Gantt and includes a blue verification checkmark. Lookalike pages, even those that use her name or images, should be treated cautiously unless the page title and verification details confirm that it is legitimate.

This is the kind of warning that can be easy to overlook. A fan may search for a favorite cook, artist, pastor, or performer and find several pages using the same photo. Without checking carefully, the fan may follow the wrong page, comment on a fake post, or trust a product link that has no connection to the real person. Images and likenesses are subject to misuse. Don’t be scammed in a scroll. Pay attention to the tiny details that may indicate something is off, such as a missing blue checkmark on Facebook demonstrating an account’s authenticity.

How to Protect Yourself

• Protect your accounts by taking advantage of privacy measures offered by each social media network. For example, on Facebook, you have options to keep your account private verses public and limit who sees your posts. This can be done under settings & privacy.
• Use strong, unique passwords as described above and enable multifactor authentication, a security process requiring two or more proofs of identity before you can access the account.
• Choose your social media contacts carefully. Verify profiles before following, messaging, buying, or donating.
• Look for official page names, verification marks, and consistent account history.
• Be cautious with urgent requests for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or personal information.
• Avoid clicking links in unexpected messages; go directly to the official website when possible.
• Limit personal details shared publicly, including travel plans, birthdays, pet names, and family information.
• Report suspicious profiles, posts, and messages to the platform.
• Talk with a trusted friend, family member, or professional before responding to a message that feels unusual or high pressure.
• Report scams directly to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

A simple pause can prevent a serious mistake. For example, before sending money to someone who claims to be a relative, call that person directly using a known phone number. Before buying from a social media ad, search for the company outside the app. Before clicking a link, ask whether the message makes sense and whether the sender can be verified.

Social media can be a valuable way to stay connected and informed, but it is important to pause, verify, and question anything that feels unusual. The strongest protection often begins with a habit as simple as saying, “Let me check first.” Whether the message comes from a stranger, a fake business, or a page that looks familiar, taking a moment to confirm the source can make a major difference in avoiding scams.

Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice. It is not intended to promote any business or service.