While the digital experience has provided amazing convenience and ease to the consumer, it has spurred an alarming increase in fraudulent merchants who have tricked unsuspecting buyers in the process. Recent investigations reveal that hundreds of scam accounts can be set up simultaneously, utilizing emotional language and a false sense of urgency to lure shoppers. Cybersecurity experts, including Marta Mallavibarrena, have found some pretty alarming patterns in these scams. They are especially popular on social networks like Instagram and Facebook.
Scam accounts usually pretend to be going out of business and provide fake discounts or deals to encourage consumers to make immediate purchases. Hall wants you to recognize that these accounts lean on language like “Unfortunately, we are shutting down …” to create urgency. This strategy forces consumers to move with urgency or miss out on the opportunity. This tactic is meant to trigger an emotional response, scaring consumers into rushing to make quick choices.
Mallavibarrena tracked down four distinct shops through Instagram. Taken together, this ad copy points to an astonishingly systematic and predatory practice of these scams. This time the similarity in messaging signals some level of coordination among scammers to use the same emotional manipulation on multiple platforms.
Scam accounts often sell products they purchase from big, cheap e-commerce sites or drop shipping services. These accounts tend to prey on the consumer’s desire for big savings, particularly when consumers buy in bulk. Even when buyers do get an actual product, it often fails to live up to the narrow story advertised.
“The language used by these accounts often includes a sense of urgency,” Mallavibarrena explained. “While you might get something delivered, it’s not going to be reflective of what’s there on the ad.”
As urban planner Serpil Hall has called them, these operations are nothing short of “industrialised social engineering.” He notes that these scammers use low-cost ads and made-up urgency to drain dollars from Americans. The quick creation and flushing of these accounts often leave victims feeling scammed and bewildered.
These scam accounts often operate for a short period before vanishing, taking thousands of dollars from consumers without any recourse. As noted above, older scam accounts often cycle through profile names to avoid detection, making it harder for Twitter to find and suspend these accounts. They often use non-existent or phony address and city name combinations, adding another layer of deceitfulness to their legitimacy.
Hall highlights the methodical approach employed by these scammers, stating, “They’re industrialised social engineering – leveraging cheap ads, fake urgency and rapid rebranding to take money from thousands of consumers before disappearing.” This regimented prioritization provides them with the ability to pivot rapidly and focus on different victims.
Consumers are encouraged to continue to be cautious when purchasing goods online. They know that a lot of us will be seduced by the promise of more discounts and member-only deals. It’s always important to make sure a seller is legitimate before you buy anything. Researching online reviews, checking for contact information, and assessing the professionalism of the website can help shoppers avoid falling victim to scams.