How to avoid the top 5 social media scams

[Wayne]

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/money/consumer ... edia-scams

Kristi Bowers raises money for cystic fibrosis the old-fashioned way, but she also knows how important social media is when it comes to raising money and awareness.

"Some of our best support can be raised through the internet or social media," she said.

She also knows from experience that "friends" of the cause online can also be scammers looking to steal information or install a virus.

When a friend sent her a picture, she clicked on the link.

"It looked legitimate," she said, "like it was somebody trying to share something with me."

But she found out quickly that the friend who had sent her the picture had been hacked. Clicking the link left her with a crippling virus.

"You're one step away from crashing your computer," she said.

Tim Stadler specializes in cyber security, and hears stories from victims of social media scams all the time.

"They can be devastating to their personal life," he said.

So, what are the top five social media scams to watch out for?

1. A Facebook post from a friend inviting you to link to a photo album.

2. Emails disguised to look like they're from Facebook, saying a friend commented on a photo of you.

3. An instant message from a friend with a plea for financial help.

4. A Tweet inviting you to check out a funny video through a short link.

5. A message from LinkedIn inviting you to download documents for a meeting.

To protect yourself from scams like these, Stadler says it's important to never click on a link unless you trust the person who sent it.

And if you're suspicious of a link, Google it first, he suggests. Usually a scam site will pop up if it's not legitimate.

He also recommends getting rid of some Facebook friends you don't know. They can often be scammers, he said.