AG alert: Hackers target social media ‘friends’

LITTLE ROCK — Hackers are attempting to infiltrate social media accounts in order to target friends of account holders by posing as the person and pushing programs that allege to provide financial assistance. The hackers prey upon trusting relationships between friends and family by claiming that completion of a simple application will allow them to help with a variety of expenses, ranging from paying bills to starting a new business.

“In their latest criminal ploy, hackers try to exploit trusted relationships between friends and families to scam innocent Arkansans out of thousands of dollars,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “While social media users should only connect with individuals they actually know, criminals will not hesitate to hack accounts and pose as trusted friends to push their scams. Arkansans must remain vigilant and avoid giving out any personal information online or over the phone — if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.”

Rutledge released the following tips to help Arkansans keep their personal information secure on social media:

• Use a unique password for each social media site you use. If an unauthorized individual accesses your account, they can use it to send spam to other users, scam your friends and family or use the information they obtain to scam you.

• Be sure to set privacy settings to the most secure setting available. Ensure that information is only shared with friends, not with the internet at large. Some social media sites, like Facebook, allow users to see how their profile looks to specific individuals and the public.

• If you receive a friend or follow request from an individual who you think you are already connected with, double-check your friends or followers list. If you are already connected with that individual, the new request is probably a hacker. When in doubt, reach out directly to the individual to verify the request.

• If your profile is publicly viewable, do not post information that would let someone know that your house was empty or that you are home alone. Posting that you are leaving town for a few days could be an invitation for someone to break into your home. Likewise, if you have children or roommates who use these sites, make sure they are aware that they should never indicate online that they are home alone.

• Think carefully about what information you post online. An electronic record of what you say will likely be online forever, which might come back to haunt you in the future. Follow the “Front Page Rule.” Do not post anything online that you would not be comfortable seeing on the front page of your newspaper. Remember that employers, universities and even attorneys often check other social media sites for information that you have posted online.

For more information and tips to avoid scams and other consumer-related issues, call the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at 800-482-8982, email consumer@arkansasag.gov or visit http://ArkansasAG.gov.