BBB warns of Facebook, Instagram hacking scams

The Better Business Bureau is warning you to be vigilant online after a number of reports from people and businesses who have had their social media channels hacked.

The scams usually start with a message from a friend or acquaintance on Facebook or Instagram.

The BBB says recently a Calgary man fell victim after getting a message on Instagram from someone he knew, asking him to click a link to help the person set up another social media account.

“As soon as I clicked the send button I had a bad feeling,” he said in a news release.

Once he clicked the link, he was locked out of his account. His content, including personal photos, was then used on other sites promoting a fake cryptocurrency scheme.

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There are some other similar scams showing up on social media feeds where users are told to post testimonials about the fake schemes in order to get their account back.

The BBB has a number of tips to help prevent you from becoming a victim of one of these scams.

• Be cautious with personal information and never give out personal details to anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t add people you don’t know and be extra cautious of what kind of links you click on. The BBB says messages that are from someone unexpected or that are brief might be scams.
• Use different passwords for every account and never share passwords. It’s also advised to not use things like your name or common words.
• Use extra security features like security codes and two-factor authentication. Log out of accounts on any shared devices.
• Understand your privacy settings and check often as new features might change the settings.
• Never allow third party apps to access your personal information as they have rights to post on your behalf.