Beware the Instagram Ad Scam
Hello, Instagrammers! Have those flashy ads that promise quick money ever tempted you? You know, the ones that say you can make a lot of money by just clicking a link? Well, if you’ve ever been curious, you should listen because we’re about to tell you a story that could help you avoid a cyber scam disaster.
A software expert from Manguluru, India, decided to take the risk and click on one of those tempting Instagram ads. You know, the kind that says you can make lots of money quickly. What happened next is what nightmares are made of. She lost a total of 10.5 lakh rupees to con artists. Ouch! Let’s look at what went wrong and, more importantly, how you can make sure you don’t make the same mistake.
How the Instagram Ad Scam Worked
Our main character saw an Instagram ad that promised extra money in a sweet way. It got her attention by saying, “You can make extra money.” She was interested and hoping to get some money, so she sent a message to the ad’s WhatsApp number, which was 9899183689. They told her to connect on Telegram with @channika9912. Good so far, right?
Well, when she was asked to download an app, things went from bad to worse. Then, a man who sounded friendly told her that she would get a 30% return on her money. She used Google Pay to send Rs. 7,000 to a UPI ID. Her account suddenly had 9,100 rupees in it. She probably thought she had found gold, but it turned out to be fool’s gold.
The con artists then did something sneaky. They told her that for some reason, her account was blocked and that they hadn’t gotten the 20,000 rupees she had just sent. She believed their story and sent an incredible 10,50,525 rupees. She didn’t realize she had been tricked until then, and that’s when she decided to call the police.
How to avoid these fake Instagram ads:
Now, we’ll show you how to avoid falling into these online traps. It’s not as hard as you may think!
- Stick to Reputable Job Portals: If you want to find a job, use sites like LinkedIn, Naukri.com, and Indeed. You won’t find real jobs on Telegram or other sites that can’t be trusted.
- Do Your Homework: Find out as much as you can about a job before you take it. Google will help you the most here. Find out more about the company and the person you’re doing business with. If something seems fishy, you should run the other way!
- Protect Your Personal Information: Never give out personal information like your name and phone number unless you are sure you are dealing with a trustworthy source. Con artists can use this against you.
- Stay on Trusted Websites: Only enter your information on trusted websites, especially when it comes to your financial information. Check the address bar for a padlock to make sure the site is safe.
- Money Matters: Never, and we mean NEVER, send money to the bank account of someone you don’t know. If you have to do this for a job, it is almost certainly a scam. Also, don’t tell anyone where you bank.
So, there you have it. The story of an Instagram ad that went horribly wrong, along with some tips for staying safe online. Remember that there is no such thing as easy money, but it is possible to stay safe online. Have fun reading!
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