Australian and United Statess reported losses of $80.2 million to social media scams last year – up 43% on the year before.

Scammers set up fake profiles on social media,  messaging platforms and apps. They pretend to be from the government, a real business, employer, investment firm, or even a friend, family member or romantic interest.

They may:

  • use the same logo of the real organisation or photo of the person they are pretending to be to make the scam harder to spot.
  • impersonate famous people to 'recommend' goods or services
  • create fake identities to befriend you and win your trust.

Scammers can also learn a lot about you from details you share on your social media accounts. They create quizzes or posts designed to deceive you into sharing personal information. They use this information to guess your account passwords or target you with other scams.

Warning signs it might be a scam

Stop and think. It could be a scam if the post or message:

  • suggest a famous person endorses or supports a product or service
  • come from someone you have only met online and urgently ask for money to help with a legal, medical, or business situation
  • threatens to share a private image unless you pay them money.

Social media scammers use common scam tactics such as:

  • saying someone will buy something you are selling without seeing it first and at a high price
  • saying they live overseas and can’t meet you in person.
  • offering items for sale at significantly lower prices than usual or compared to other sites
  • offering you a way to make quick, easy money with little risk or effort
  • inviting you to enter a competition or limited time offer.

Steps you can take to protect yourself

These simple steps can help prevent loss of money or personal information to scams.

Make sure the person is who they say they are

  • Research profiles to check how long an account has been active, how many friends or followers they have and how much activity they have had online including posts and photos. Lack of history, detail and followers can be a sign of a fake profile.
  • Be wary if a job is offered to you without an interview, or discussion about your experience, suitability, and references. Research the recruiter and the business or individual offering the position. Contact the recruitment agency via phone numbers sourced from an independent internet search.
  • If an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is. Research any investment opportunity fully before investing money. Visit MoneySmart for advice.

Be careful about what information you share on social media

  • Never send money to a person you have only met online
  • Never send personal pictures of yourself to someone you have only met online

Think you've been scammed?

  1. Act fast to stop any further losses

    Contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam. Ask them to stop any transactions.

    Change passwords on all your devices and online accounts like banking, email, government and shopping.

  2. Get help to recover

    IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. They can help you make a plan (for free) to limit the damage. Call them at info@caponet.com or visit their website to find out more.

  3. Report the scam

    Once you have secured your details, you can help us try to stop the scam or to warn others by reporting the scam to us.

Common Social media scam types

Products and services scams
Scammers prey on consumers and businesses that are buying or selling products and services. Not every transaction is legitimate.
Investment scams
If you are looking for a fast way to make money, watch out – scammers have invented all sorts of fake money-making opportunities to prey on your enthusiasm and get hold of your cash.
Romance scams
Scammers use dating or friendship to get your money. They go to great lengths to convince you the relationship is real and manipulate you to give them money. Romance scammers will leave you broke and broken-hearted.