Social media spoofing is a type of attack executed through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. It is a form of phishing, where cybercriminals impersonate a fake identity to trick victims into sharing their sensitive information by creating a false sense of security and urgency. Spoofing is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL—often just by changing one letter, symbol, or number—to convince you that it is legitimate. Social media spoofing can take many forms, such as:

• Fake profiles: Scammers create fake profiles that look genuine by using previously collected information, such as employment details and city of birth, to make the profiles look real. They may also use recent photos to make the profiles look even more authentic. However, the biggest tell is the language, sentence structure, and expressions used by the scammer, which will feel "off" in some way.

• Direct messaging: All social media platforms provide some form of direct messaging between users. Scammers exploit this functionality to create fake profiles and impersonate a victims friends or family. They exploit the direct channel and the users trust to make up a phony situation and ask for help. Common requests include money to cover an urgent payment or a password to a private account.

• Cryptocurrency scams: Scammers promote fraudulent activities on Facebook and Twitter and propagate them through fake celebrity profiles. In 2021 alone, these fake accounts stole over $2 million through cryptocurrency scams.

To protect yourself from social media spoofing, you can take the following measures:

• Verify the authenticity of job postings or communications received through the platform when applying for a job.

• Dont add unknown people to your social media accounts.

• Dont click on suspicious links. To update your personal details, refer to the social media platform directly instead of clicking an email link.

• Inform your clients and employees about your communication practices and the importance of verifying the authenticity of messages.

If you suspect that you have been a victim of social media spoofing, you can file a complaint with the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) .