Copyright scams: What are they and how do they work?
Over the last few years, digital scams have evolved and become increasingly sophisticated. One of the most recent and worrying ones involves false claims of copyright infringement.
In this type of scam, criminals take advantage of concerns over intellectual property laws to trick victims into handing over confidential information. This article will explain how the scam works, who the main targets are and how to protect yourself from these threats.
What is a copyright scam?
A copyright scam is a con in which scammers send messages, usually via email, claiming that you have infringed some type of copyright. These messages seem legitimate and may appear to come from popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
The criminals' intention is to frighten the victim into making them believe that they need to take urgent action to avoid legal penalties.
How is this scam perpetrated?
Scammers often send an email or direct message on social media to the victim claiming that one of their posts violates a copyright. The message contains a link to a webpage that supposedly offers more information about the violation and how to fix it. Upon clicking on the link, the victim is redirected to a webpage that mimics the original platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
On this fake webpage, the victim is then prompted to enter their login credentials (username and password). Once the scammers gain access to this information, they can take control of the account, use it for other scams, steal personal data, and even extort money.
Marketing professionals, who manage multiple social media accounts for businesses, are frequent targets. If a criminal is able to gain control of a corporate account, they can cause significant financial damage and reputational harm to the companies involved.
How can you protect yourself from a copyright scam?
Protecting yourself from copyright scams demands attention and caution. These are a few tips to keep your accounts and data safe:
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Be wary of alarming messages: if you receive a notification of copyright infringement, check directly on the platform and don't click on any links in the email or message;
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Verify the sender: carefully review the email address or profile that sent the message. Scammers often use addresses or URLs that are very similar to the official ones, but with slight variations;
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Enable two-factor authentication: this extra layer of security helps protect your account by requiring a second verification method in addition to the password;
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Avoid clicking on suspicious links: if you need to access your account to review any notifications, go directly to the platform’s official site and don't click on any links sent by third parties;
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Use password managers: these help protect your credentials and make it easy to create unique and secure passwords for each account.
What should you do if you become a victim?
If you've fallen for the scam and have provided your login information on a fake webpage, take the following actions immediately:
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Change your passwords: change the password of the compromised account as soon as possible and, if you use the same password for other platforms, change those as well;
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Enable two-factor authentication: If you haven't done so already, enable two-factor authentication on your accounts to make it harder for others to gain access;
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Review recent activity: check your account for suspicious activity, such as logins from unknown locations or messages you didn't send;
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Contact the platform: let the social media site know that your account has been compromised. Many platforms have fraud recovery and protection processes;
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Monitor other accounts: if your credentials are used on other platforms, look out for potential unauthorized access.
Copyright scams are a rising threat, especially in a digital environment as connected as ours. Awareness and caution are the best ways to avoid falling into these traps. Protect your personal information, be wary of suspicious messages, and keep your accounts safe at all times.
