Scammers are staying high tech. Harry Hairston and the NBC10 Investigators say as soon as you start using new technology, so do scammers.
You may think you’re just logging into Twitter, but if you aren’t careful, you could fall right into what experts are calling “tweet traps.”
Scammers are using a technique known as “spearphishing” to hijack thousands of twitter accounts. By sending a modified link, they disguise their own website to look identical to the twitter login page, saving your account name and password and allowing them access to your personal account.
They use those accounts to contact millions of twitter users, asking for personal information like your phone number, bank accounts, addresses, and even credit card numbers.
Dr. Robert D’Ovidio of Drexel University, who studies computer crime, says scammers are constantly finding new ways to reach victims. Using twitter, they have “the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people within a split second, and that can be pretty damaging especially if the person whose account has been hijacked is not vigilant in monitoring that account.”
The best way to protect yourself is simple -- trust your instincts and be cautious.
Do not click the link without checking it out first. If you think a message looks suspicious, just delete it, especially if it’s from someone you don’t even know.
Here are a few tips for avoiding the scam as well as advice for users who think their account may have already been hacked:
- If you are ever prompted to re-login into Twitter, check the address bar. Often, the scammers will be able to match the look and feel of the webpage, but the address will change subtly.
- If you fall for the trap, reset your password immediately, and check your account daily. Make sure scammers haven’t sent out any messages in your name.
- Warn your friends and family that your account has been compromised.
For more information, check out these links:
