Social media is currently one of the most powerful tools of interaction and social presence. Almost every individual globally uses at least one of the various social media platforms. While it might seem safe, identity theft has been a common issue on social media. It has increased as we have integrated social networks into our personal lives.

Are you curious to know about data theft by social media platforms? This article will help you get a comprehensive guide on the same.

It is considered social media identity theft when someone uses someone else's pictures and personal information to create a fake social media account. Whether done as a prank or scam people, it is illegal and an incriminating activity. Scammers have multiple interests while creating such a theft.

While some are interested in blackmailing you for money by stealing your social media identity, others reach out to your friends and directly ask for money from them through this fake account. They can also push political messages or hateful speech through a fake account, which turns your friends and relatives against you.

Criminals have various ways to commit identity theft through social media. Here are a few common ways that can cause such an incident.

• Basic Route

With this, criminals steal your pictures, and some personal data from a social media account or any other web platform. They then create a fake social media account by adding these details, making it look genuine. This way, they try to trick your friends and families into chatting with this account.

• Phishing Emails

Some scammers might send you fake and phishing emails asking for your personal information. They might claim to be your friend or an employment company. Once you give away your details, they use the same to create a fake social media account and start scamming others.

• Hacking

A scammer might gain access to your personal information by hacking into your social media account, computer, and smartphone devices. This process allows them to access your devices and steal the data. They can also gain access to your information by hacking into government websites.

• Remote Access Scams

With the pandemic and remote working scenario, remote access software has been a popular requirement. A scammer might trick you into giving access to your devices through these.

• Malware and Ransomware

Scammers can use malware to hack into your device. It tricks you into installing software allowing the scammer to access your device and personal details. It can also demand payment to unlock your device.

• Mobile Phone Theft

If you lose your smartphone and the password systems are not strong enough, your data can easily come into the hands of strangers. They can get access to your personal details and social media accounts. They can view and misuse emails, texts, photos, videos, etc.

• Wi-Fi Hacking

If you use public Wi-Fi to connect your phone to the internet, there are high risks of allowing scammer entry. Hackers will be able to spy on your connection, which is not reliable. Hackers can access a password or social media details every time you enter a password or social media details.

You might be wondering how to prevent identity theft on social media. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

• Avoid Oversharing on Web

It is always safer to keep your information to yourself. If you do not have enough details on social media platforms, there will not be much for a scammer to steal. Providing the most generic details on social media can save you from major trouble. For instance, you can simply enter the country you live in and skip the city to avoid detailed information.

Moreover, you can follow this tip even while accessing other websites. Avoid using personal details like a contact number or email unless necessary. It will help you avoid giving away some vital personal data to the scammer yourself.

• Know the People You Add

When using social media, you must be cautious about your privacy with scammers. For this, you should avoid adding strangers to your friend list. If you accidentally add a scammer, they will likely get better access to your profile without your knowledge. They get to know more about your email and guess your security questions.

Always monitor your friend requests, and check the profile details to ensure that the person is actually who you think. Check your friend list occasionally to check if you mistakenly added an unknown person to your account.

• Secure Your Privacy Settings

Every social media platform allows certain privacy and security settings. It is essential to check these settings and customise them effectively. Make sure to hide most of your personal details, such as birthday, current location, workplace, etc. Moreover, try to keep your account private from outsiders who do not belong to your friend list.

If you are not strict with your privacy, any stranger on the social media platform will have access to your details. They will be able to access some of the most sensitive data about you and then use it negatively.

• Limit Your Posts

Most social media platforms these days allow users to restrict their profiles against strangers. Make sure that your profile is not visible to anyone outside your common friends and relatives. You can also restrict some people from visiting your profile and viewing your posts. This will help to prevent unwanted scammers from checking your activities on social media.

Whenever you upload photos, videos or something else that might be personal, check the privacy settings. It should be visible only to your friends and not to the general public. Moreover, limiting people who can see your future posts is also possible by changing your privacy settings.

• Avoid Live Locations

It is always advisable to avoid sharing live locations on any social media platforms. For this, you should not indicate your actual location on your account. You can also avoid tagging the current location while posting pictures, videos or statuses. If your profile is public, you should avoid adding location details.

This information can make your home and family vulnerable to scammers. They will get to know where you are currently, and that can put your safety in danger. For instance, if you post that you are alone at a park, a criminal can mug you in that location. Therefore, avoid tagging the exact address on social media.

• Use Strong Passwords and Authentication 

Make sure the social media platform you choose has strong authentication methods. It will help you set the right username and passwords that your hackers cannot guess. Moreover, ensure that the authentication system allows alerts whenever suspicious logins are done to your account from different devices.

Most social media platforms rely on permanent passwords over OTPs. Therefore, choosing the right combination of letters, numbers, and special characters is essential for setting a unique password. This way, a scammer can never guess your password.

• Rely on an Internet Security Software Suite

Internet security software can protect your identity and IP address when surfing the web or using social media platforms. You might sometimes click on certain links that end up downloading malware to your device, which can steal your personal information. However, you can solve this issue with internet security.

To prevent such issues, installing genuine antivirus software on your device is advisable. Most security software includes anti-keyloggers, secure environments and encrypted password protection to avoid identity theft.

Now that you know all about social media identity theft, you need to know the steps to take if you, unfortunately, become a victim of such a crime. Here are some of the best steps to take if you suspect identity theft.

• Discover the Source

Once you get to know about a theft from a friend or relative, run an investigation to find the source. It will lead you to the fake account which is using your information. You can find it with the help of your friends who got in touch with this fake account. Otherwise, you might have to search it on the web.

• Report the Account

Most social media platforms allow users to report spam or offensive content and accounts. If you feel that there is a fake account using your name and details, you can simply report it and bring it to the notice of the platform. Even if you do not have an account in the concerned platform, you can still report profiles by visiting the official websites of these platforms.

• Change Passwords and Remove Suspicious Accounts

Start with a run on your 'friends' list if you still feel sceptical. Find suspicious accounts, and remove them from this list. Next, change your passwords and make them more difficult to guess. You can also remove certain information from your social media account that you feel might give away details.

• Contact the Cyber Cell

The cyber cell of the police department is responsible for looking after the cases and discrepancies regarding social media and the web. If the identity theft is serious, you must report it to the cyber cell in the nearest police station. They will ask specific questions about the issue and verify the problem by investigating your account to catch the scammer.

Thus, as you can see, data theft by social media platforms can be a serious issue. As this article pointed out, scammers are always on the edges, looking for opportunities to steal your data and create fake identities online. You must follow the tips in this article to avoid such possibilities in your account.