If you are active on X (formerly Twitter), you must have come across several fake news clippings being run as ads on Twitter. In the last few days, fake news about tech giants launching their cryptocurrency has been spread. It’s all a part of the new Twitter ad scam!
What are Twitter ad scams? These are ads run by scammers on X using verified profiles, which redirect users to a webpage designed to steal their private information. You shouldn’t trust these deceptive ads. To be safe, don’t trust ads on social media platforms at all.
To detect a Twitter ad scam, verify whether the ad contains sensational information. If so, there’s a good chance that it’s a deceptive ad meant to scam you!
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How can I avoid a Twitter ad scam and stay safe?
1. Never click on ads, NEVER!
As you would expect, the most important advice to stay safe is to avoid clicking on X (formerly Twitter) ads, irrespective of their content. In the past year, these scam ads witnessed an exponential increase, especially in regions with a more vulnerable population.
The issue has been flagged countless times, with even the administration requesting Twitter to put its foot down.
So far, there are no visible signs of a crackdown on the Twitter ad scam. So, awareness is the key to safety!
2. Beware of “Too good to be true” offers
Of late, I have come across ads about Grok (by Elon Musk) crypto coin or an Apple cryptocurrency being officially launched by the respective companies. The ads had embedded YouTube links as if they were redirecting to the actual launch event.
I will admit, these ads look legitimate at first glance, but the scam becomes evident upon closer scrutiny.
All I did was verify this information on Google, and it turned out that it was a typical ad scam. Nothing of this sort was planned!
While this scam ad used a tweet template to trick users, others go with fake news clippings from reputed national and international publications.
3. Disable personalized ads on X (Twitter)
These Twitter scam ads are typically shown to targeted users based on their activity and interests. For instance, many in India lately saw fake news clippings about Shreya Ghoshal, an acclaimed singer, that used the same styling and format as that of The Indian Express, one of the leading news publishers in the country.
For some of these scam posts, responsible users have added community notes. But most are still running unabated, scamming unsuspecting people.
A quick fix for this is to disable personalized ads. When you do that, scammers won’t be able to target you with such ads or other phishing attempts based on your recent Twitter activity and browsing history.
To turn off personalized ads on X (Twitter), go to Settings > tap on Privacy and safety > tap on Ads preferences > disable the toggle for Personalized ads.
4. Install a top-rated antivirus solution
If you are not well-versed in the tech world and are usually unable to spot a Twitter scam ad, it’s wise to install an effective antivirus solution on the device, whether it’s a PC or mobile phone.
For a computer, you have Norton, Avast, Malwarebytes, and BitDefender. On a mobile phone, the options are limited, but Norton, Avast, and Bitdefender do a good enough job!
An antivirus will trigger an automatic warning as soon as you click on a fraudulent link or visit an unsafe website. This way, your data and credentials will be safe from scammers.
5. Report the ad to X (Twitter)
As a responsible X (or Twitter) user, it’s also vital that you report each post and account that spreads the Twitter ad scam.
To flag a scam ad on X, tap on the ellipsis near its top-right corner > choose Report ad > and select a reason for flagging it.
If X receives enough reports regarding an ad, post, or account, it will be forced to take action. As a result, instances of such ads will gradually decline, although this is a very ideal scenario, one unlikely to take place. Still, you have to do your part!
What happens if I click on a scam ad on Twitter (X)?
Clicking on a scam ad is dangerous as it can result in immediate financial losses or get you trapped in a long cycle of such ads. Here are the are risks:
- Your account credentials can be stolen.
- Threat actors can inject your PC or mobile phone with malware, gaining access to stored files and tracking your activity.
- The ad may lead you to a fake website that resembles an official one, say a banking site, and prompt you to enter sensitive information.
- Scammers can gain access to your web history and track future browsing activity, leading to more such scammy ads in the long run.
These are all the ways you can stay protected from the Twitter ad scam. Any lapse on your end can be disastrous and it could take months to recover from it.
Another similar scam doing rounds is the Microsoft tech support scam. Find out all about it!
For any queries or to share your experience with the Twitter (X) ad scam, drop a comment below.
