Scammers impersonate the social media accounts of well-known brands such as banks or stores – or they create imposter accounts using someone else's name, photos, and other identifying information. They do this to ask for money, your personal information, or to offer you investment opportunities.
What to look out for:
- The account is not verified — especially if it normally would be (e.g., a well-known brand or influencer)
- The account is brand new and has little content and a few followers/friends
- A celebrity or someone you don’t know is requesting money
Tips to avoid an impersonation scam:
- Always verify the brand or person who is promoting a competition, investment opportunity, loan offer or asking for money, by making sure the account is verified
- Don’t respond to messages or click on links without verifying the source of the message – no tick, no verification!
- Beware of scammers trying to fake the verified tick by inserting a picture of it next to the account name or profile picture
