The 7 Worst Social Media Scams

Cyber criminals are everywhere, they’re even terrorizing your social media news feed!

In this day and age your personal information such as where you go, what you do, who you chat to and what you like can be used as valuable data by cyber criminals. These cyber criminals will sell your private data to people who will use it to target ads, launch campaigns and other malicious operations.

You may be thinking to yourself, I’m only one person; no one is going to target me. Well, you’re very wrong! Should you fall victim to a social media scam it not only affects you, it affects your entire network of friends and contacts.

Make sure you know these common social media scams and avoid them as best you can…

1. Quizzes, Surveys & Contests. These scams are cute enough to make you think they’re completely innocent. And while you might think it’s all fun and games when they ask you your mothers date of birth or maiden name so you can see what Game of Thrones character you are, they are in fact getting information about you and your loved ones – do not click on these!

2. Clickbait. It’s almost irresistible to ignore that headline and not click on that unbelievable article, but the truth is it’s just bad actors doing a really good job at knowing what clickbait will tempt you. Should you click you’ll be redirected to where they want you to go, most of the time it’s to a fake login page where they can steal your information!

3. Cash Requests. Someone you know is desperately asking for money be aware that it could be someone who has hacked into their account and is not spamming every one of their friends, asking for money. Always double check with your friend if you receive a request for money on a social media website.

4. Short URLs. They save space, but criminals on social media sites are using these shortened URLs to trick you into clicking them and spreading virus, malware and so much more! Before you click on anything, check on http://www.checkshorturl.com/ to ensure it will take you to the official website.

5. Suspicious Friend Requests. This one is obvious, but whenever someone sends you a friend request always ask yourself, why? If you can’t think of a reason rather ignore the friend request. In today’s digital world, you can never trust the kindness of strangers, especially those on social media.

6. Double friend Requests. You have probably experienced this one before, you received a friend requests from a friend you already have and justify it as their new profile or a mishap and accept the request. Well, it’s not your friend; it’s a cybercriminal hoping you let them in!

7. Fake Emergencies. These “emergencies” will seem to be from a friend or the social media site itself informing you of something critically important on your account. Cyber criminals are hoping you’ll be a panicked state and enter your login details, giving them access to your private information. Never trust links within messages, posts, or emails.

The good news for you is that these scams are easy to spot and avoid, the bad news is that millions of users who are not tech-savvy will be innocent enough to fall for them!

Have you fallen victim? At OSINT, we will do what we can to assist you, call 021 110 0422, email contact@osint.co.za or learn more here www.osint.co.za

The Three Major Risks when Borrowing Money Online

On the internet everything is easy, from ordering takeaways to paying your bills. However the stakes become a little higher when you’re looking to apply for a loan.

When it comes to a personal loan, you need to provide private information to someone you might not even know, so you have to be sure to be completely safe online, especially when you’re thinking of loaning a large amount of money.

What are the risks when it comes to borrowing money online?

Here are the three major risks that you could be facing if you do not look out for the red flags when borrowing money online:

LOSING MONEY

This is the most obvious risk. Fake loan providers will easy set up a fake business, promise you the world and then charge you fake fees to approve your loan. In the end you don’t ever get what you paid for.

PAYING TOO MUCH

Even if you do end up getting a legitimate loan, you may end up paying an arm and a leg to a bad loan provider. A loan provider that is reputable will give you a reasonable price for a loan at fixed prices.

IDENTITY THEFT

This will happen to you if you give out your private information to a fake loan provider that is actually looking to steal your identity. You may be asked to go to a fake website and fill in your personal information such as ID number, date of birth, address, etc.

Overall you could be simply wasting your time and effort trying to borrow from a fake loan provider!

Don’t become the next victim of a personal loan scam, here’s how!

I think I’ve been scammed – Now what?

Please contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more about our open-source intelligence & digital forensics services on www.osint.co.za or www.tcgforensics.co.za

Don’t become the next Victim of a Personal Loan Scam!

When you’re stuck in a situation where you can’t pay medical bills or your car needs repairs that aren’t covered by your insurance, a personal loan might be an easy answer to all your problems.

However, you always need to be wary when it comes to personal loan scams; luckily there are a few red flags to look out for to help you spot the fakes and frauds!

Here are the 8 signs of a personal loan scam…

1. There’s no credit check. All legitimate personal loan lenders will do a credit check before to ensure that you can repay the money. A scammer will not be interested in your credit score because they’re typically after your personal information instead.

2. The personal loan lender isn’t registered. In South Africa, as well as most other places, you have to register to be a loan provider. If you search for a loan provider or business and find they are not registered, you’ve probably found a fraudulent website!

3. The loan offer isn’t complete. All loan lenders need to complete all the terms of a loan, this includes the final costs and the interest. If the offer you are signing for has the bare minimal information, spelling mistakes, grammar errors and just looks a little suspicious, it’s probably a scam.

4. There’s no physical address. If you cannot find any contact information or you can’t find their physical address then be aware that this personal loan is probably a scam. All scammers will make it as hard as possible for anyone to get in touch with them later to avoid legal action!

5. You must act now before the offer expires. The offer is urgent and you need to sign for the loan before it expires – this is most definitely a scam! All legitimate loan providers will have a steady rate, while scammers will fool you into acting quickly without reading the fine print.

6. You need to pay upfront. Any loans that demand you to pay certain fees for “processing” or “insurance” are scams. Any loan provider that asks you for payment before to process your application is just a scammer looking to take advantage of situations when people desperately need money.

7. Guaranteed approval. It is impossible that you will always be guaranteed approval of a loan, there is no such thing as a guaranteed personal loan. A legitimate loan provider will first have to check your credit as well as your information before the loan is guaranteed.

8. Payment in the form of cash or a gift card. A loan scammer will try to get you to pay them in a way that is untraceable, such as with cash or in the form of a gift card. No legitimate loan provider will request you to pay like this and if they pressure you to do so it is probably a scam!

I think I’ve been scammed – Now what?

Please contact OSINT immediately on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za otherwise learn more about our open-source intelligence & digital forensics services on www.osint.co.za or www.tcgforensics.co.za

Are you Dating an Online Scammer?

Dating scams cost unsuspecting people money as well as heartache each and every year, but still people continue to fall for the tricks and so online dating scams continue to rise.

These cybercriminals will play a long game to cheat you out of your money, rather than using a simple phishing email or scam. If you are using an online dating app or chatting on social media, please be aware that these cybercriminals do exist and you could even dating one!

Be sure to look out for these signs to tell if the person you’re dating online is actually a scammer!

1. Suspicious Profile

A typical scammers dating profile will have only a few images that have been posted recently. Most often these images are model or glamour stock photos. They’re looking for singles in your area, but they work or live in another country. Be wary if the profile has limited information and only one or two photos.

2. Moving the Conversation

Online dating scammers will try their best to move the conversation to another form of messaging such as Skype, Facebook, WhatsAppor SMS. If they try and take the conversation elsewhere – be on alert!

3. Professing their Love

You’ve just started chatting and they profess their love for you and gush about the deep emotional connection you have. This is all a way to emotional manipulate you, especially if you are feeling isolated and vulnerable at the time. Always lookout for those who are overly flattering in the early stages of the communication.

4. Something always comes up

A common line used by scammers is planning to meet up with you but then an unexpected issue always comes up just before it happens. Because they can’t meet up with you, this might even be one of the first reasons they ask you for money, perhaps they’ll lie and say they don’t have money for a plane ticket or to travel.

5. Avoiding Video Chat

Did you know that the majority of online dating scams go back to those living in Nigeria? So they may avoid phone calls or voice chats because their accents and appearance will give them away. No matter where they are from, someone scamming you will be using fake photos so they will always make excuses not to video chat. Do not be fooled by someone who says they love you and then blames shyness for not wanted to communicate over video.

6. Requesting Money

The ultimate goal that an online dating scammer has is to rob you of your money, so there are a range of scenarios they will make up. Some of the most popular include: a sick family member or emergency, health issues and travel problems. You are definitely the target of a scam if you ever get any kind of financial request!

7. Assisting with Financial Transactions

A newer kind of online dating scam is turning the victim into a money mule or money laundering accomplice! Be on full alert if you are ever asked to do any kind of financial transaction or exchange, they would possibly be luring you into doing something illegal.

If you choose to date online, please be sure to take the right measures to protect yourself and overall just use your common sense.

If you think you’ve been a victim of an online dating scam or perhaps you think you might be dating a scammer right now – contact the OSINT department in South Africa on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | alternatively visit the website to find out more www.osint.co.za

Top 8 things you should be doing in regards to Internet Security!

We do everything online these days! Our cell phones, laptops and PCs are basically an extension of ourselves, that is why being extra careful when it comes to internet security is so important.

It is so surprising that people still do not bother with their internet security – you are not invisible, as soon as you go online you become a possible victim of so many things including scams, fraud, identity theft and so much more.

One of the safest methods to follow is to purchase a high quality internet security software that will have regular updates, remove viruses, scan on a regular basis and notify you of malicious activities.

- Keep your passwords security and don’t share with anyone

- Install and update security software on your PC and cell phone

- Be wary of phone calls asking for personal information or access to your PC

- Do not post financial or personal information on social media networks

- Be extra careful when buying online and also use a safe payment method

- Protect your cell phone from malware and viruses just as you would your PC

- Double check bank accounts and statements for anything suspicious

- Talk with your family and friends and encourage them to report anything unusual!

Always remember it is not a matter of IF you will become a victim, it is a matter of WHEN! Take into consideration the things you should be doing to make sure you are secure online.

Are you scared you’ve become the next victim? Please contact TCG Digital Forensics as soon as possible and we will do what we can to assist you! Call us on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za | Learn more here www.tcgforensics.co.za or www.osint.co.za

Why does Social Media Intelligence matter?

Do you know what social media intelligence is? Well to put it simply, it is the collection, curation and overall analysis of data found online in order to provide a look into the actions and habits of a certain individual or group.

In a time where most of the people in the world are on social media networks, social media intelligence can be used to learn a lot by just studying what they do online.

Here are some interesting social media facts and stats:

 - The top eight social media networks are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube.

- Did you know that more than half of the public use social media at least once a day?

- YouTube is the most popular social media sharing website.

- Facebook is the most popular social media sharing website – used by almost 70% of adults!

- Social media use is higher for those who are younger – almost 90% of users are 18-29 years old.

So why does social media intelligence and evidence found on social media matter?

Every single day a huge amount of information and data is created on social media networks, and social media intelligence is there to study and understand the behaviour of those who are online.

Social media intelligence is a way for professional digital forensics experts to gather, interpret and understand data that is found online, this is especially important in social media investigations.

It is important to note that social media evidence can be deleted, changed and locked down by certain privacy settings. That is why it takes a professional to preserve the online evidence so it is admissible in an official court of law.

For more information about social media intelligence as well as open source intelligence and more in the digital forensics world, please visit www.osint.co.za | www.tcgforensics.co.za or contact the TCG Digital Forensics Division on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za | contact@osint.co.za

Always think before you hit Send!

Did you know that your SMSs, WhatsApp or social network inbox messages can be used as evidence against you in a court of law? Well, for those who are possibly heading towards a divorce or breakup need to be extra careful about sending messages!

Because of all the advancements in the area of digital forensics, including social media investigations and cellular forensics, there has been a massive spike in cases that use evidence found on digital devices such as smartphones and computers.

Many people send messages without even thinking twice, this is known as “spontaneous venting”, however it can come back to hurt you, so always rethink what you’re saying before you hit send…

When it comes to evidence in a divorce, usually a nasty one, things such as SMSs, WhatsApp messages and other direct messages are most commonly used as well as emails, phone numbers, GPS locations and search history.

Most divorce lawyers will tell their clients to stay off social media platforms and avoid sending nasty messages and posting unnecessary statuses, the sad thing is that most of these clients choose not to follow this vital advice.

Anything that is in writing, you have to assume that someday a judge is going to see it. So, if it is not something that you don’t want a judge to see – don’t hit the send button!

You can always erase your messages, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone forever…

With the latest tools and forensic software, the digital forensics investigators at the TCG Forensics Division as well as OSINT are able to assist investigators and attorneys in Cape Town, Pretoria and nationally. For more information about the digital forensics services on offer please call 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za