A new study has found that almost half of all people with social media accounts are falling for online shopping scams. This means 47% of social media users are happily clicking on links in hopes of getting a good deal, but are instead giving out their personal and financial information to cyber crooks. This puts both individuals and businesses at risk of losing their data and money, and can also make them more likely to have their devices hacked.
According to the same study, phishing links were also successful in tricking 36% of people into giving away personal information. These links look like they come from a person or brand you trust, when in reality they’re sent by bad actors trying to harvest your data. An additional 36% also fell for gift card scams, where the scammer gains the victims’ trust and then persuades them to buy gift cards or online vouchers.
To protect against these scams, it’s important to have the right tools to keep your devices safe. These include firewalls, antivirus software, and using strong passwords. It’s also important to train your employees to recognize when something does not look right and to be aware of the latest scams and warning signs. Advise them to always check that links and websites are real, and to be suspicious of any offers – because if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Having a plan in place to respond to a security breach is important. Employees should know to report any incidents immediately and who to tell. Acting quickly can often make it easier and less expensive to fix a security breach and keep your business safe in the long run.
If you need help or advice with this stuff, get in touch with us today.
