A few years ago, I experienced first hand a scam on Instagram that taught me a lot about how easily digital media can be manipulated. It started with a post from what appeared to be a verified clothing brand offering a massive 50% discount as well as possible giveaways. The page used the legit brand’s logo, professional photos, and even made an attempt at recreating the whole authentic Instagram account. At fist it looked real, but once I looked into the site the purpose of the scam was clear. Its goal was to take as much personal information from orders and “shipping” to then profit off of.
The scam didn’t work on me because it relied heavily on data manipulation and visual mimicry which is easily distinguishable in many situations. The form claimed the card information was only for a “small processing fee and shipping cost” but the real goal was identity theft.
Looking back, there were several ways I could have determined the giveaway was fake. The username of the fake account had subtle spelling differences, which is a common strategy used by scammers. Second, the link in the bio didn’t go to the brand’s actual website. And Finally, the comments seemed overly generic and repetitive, a common sign of purchased fake engagement .
Allison Harrigan
Really great info! Almost fell for a similar scam before realizing
Aharri
Glad it was helpful, These scams are common!
Tyler
Did you end up getting an authentic Stussy hoodie? Luckily you didn’t fall for that phishing scam!
Aharri
Yes ended up getting the authentic product!
Dawn
Very helpful post, will be more mindful now with this in mind!
Aharri
Stay Mindful!
Jacob
So glad I came accross this post! very helpful thank you
Aharri
Glad It was Helpful!