With the rise of social media and the impact it has in our lives, comes negative implications as well (like instagram scams). A lot of people have gained cult like following and they can do and undo with the amount of power they have over. So how does one avoid getting brainwashed and scammed is a topic so many people are interested in.

Instagram is one of the world’s most heavily used social media apps, with over a billion active users. This means that some significant level of scam goes on there as it is human nature for whatever channel that has that much people to attract all manners and sorts.

We have to start with ways people get scammed on Instagram (Instagram scam formats):

People asking for Help

A day does not go by, without hearing a sob story online. Some people go to the extent of lying about their conditions by posting pictures that look convincing. And despite the harsh economy, a lot of us are moved with compassion and we tend to believe these lies. This is sad because there are people who are in need genuinely but they don’t get the help they need.

Rich Beggars

We’ve heard that story before, the story of stranded millionaires who can not access their account due to one silly reason or the other and we have believed them because of the pictures they post online. Most times, these people look for those who are vulnerable and use them to perpetuate their evil actions.

Romance

Fine guy meet fine girl and they live happily ever after. Well, so we think. There are fake people who deceive innocent people with love proposals online. They manipulate them into doing things they will feel ashamed of later. Their victims may be deceived into thinking the feelings they have is real and will send their nude pictures, engage in phone sex which most times are used against them.

Shopping

With so many people bringing their products and services online, its hard to know who is genuine or not. So many people have paid for things they never received and they do not know how to get back their money.

We have identified some ways people get scammed on Instagram, so let look at ways you can avoid falling for these scams:

1. When people come to ask you for help on Instagram, try to trust your gut. Don’t fall for whatever they say, question them and extract the truth. If you have the time, conduct a proper investigation before parting with your hard earned money.
2. The next time, someone brings a stranded millionaire’s story and you feels the lie is getting to you. Don’t hesitate to speak up and confide in a loved one. Try to be wary of any offer that looks too good to be true because most times, it is so.
3. There are so many dating apps online that are reliable, make use of them if you are looking for love.
4. Try to make use of the pay on delivery option when shopping online. But if you fall unfortunately into the hand of a scammer, contact your bank immediately and ask them to stop the transaction. These days, there are so many ways you can use to retrieve your money from scammers

Remember all that glitters is not gold, so be careful whenever you log in into your Instagram account.