23 October 2014 – According to a research report by Webcertain Group, the number of social media users in the Asian-Pacific region is expected to hit 1 billion by year-end, almost five times the total in North America. Social media browsing has become a daily routine for almost everyone due to the usage of smartphones and tablets in everyday life. The latest 2014 Mobile Behaviour Report by Salesforce showed that 75% of consumers access to social media at least once per day through smartphones and 64% of tablet users do the same using their tablets. As social media is now a common destination for mobile users, it has also become one of the favorite attack hotspots for cybercriminals. Trend Micro uncovers 9 Social Media Scams, such as “The Facebook Color Changer”, “Who Viewed Your Facebook Profile,” and “Naked Videos,” that cybercriminals leverage to spread malware infection to PCs and smartphones or steal personal information by luring users to click on phishing sites. “Social media scams are increasingly popular,” said Terrence Tang, Senior Director of Consumer Business, Asia Pacific, Trend Micro. “They lure users to install third-party apps through social media posts or trick users to click on phishing sites that cause malware infection. Users are advised to be ever vigilant when they surf online. Always check the source of posted links and apps. Change social media passwords regularly. As many users are now accessing social media through smartphones and tablets, they should install a mobile security app that offers additional privacy protection, like the Trend Micro Dr. Safety free app, to protect their devices and personal information from prying eyes.” Here are 9 popular social media scams Trend Micro has identified:
