New Instagram SCAM ALERT: Scammers are Targeting Followers of Makeup and Beauty Brands
CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE WON. 🥳
Those very words screamed at me through my instagram direct messages this morning from a profile -- @blendbunnycosmetic.s -- on instagram.
I continued to receive another spam-like message asking me to click on a link (which I will not post, due to cybersecurity reasons) and direct me to a Google Site, not Blend Bunny's site.
I immediately messaged the official page of Blend Bunny Cosmetics to confirm whether or not this profile is associated with the brand.
It appears that @blendbunnycosmetic.s is not affiliated with Blend Bunny Cosmetics, their giveaways or their site. This has led me to believe it is a scammer posing as Blend Bunny Cosmetics.
Confirmation that this isn't affiliated with Blend Bunny Cosmetics has yet to be confirmed by the brand.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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What you need to know about social media scammers: Scammers are becoming more clever and posing as the "giveaway" profile for Brands. They will send you a link that looks legit, but will ask you to register or enter your credentials -- such as payment information, address, profile logins and more -- to gain access to your sensitive information.
What to look for:
Do your homework. Receiving a "you've won!" message makes you all giddy..... But was the brand actually doing a giveaway to begin with?
Where does their link take you? Typically a brand will not send you away from their site to a third party app / site host like Google sites.
Are there typos or grammar mistakes? Typically in scam postings there's mismatched grammar, spelling errors and more.
What you need to do:
If you suspect the profile is a scammer, notify Instagram (or whatever social site you're on) immediately by reporting the profile.
It sometimes also helps to make the brand aware of the situation so they can let their followers know. Brands who are able to let their followers know there is a mock profile of them running around helps to minimize the damage these scammers do and raise awareness of these cyber hacks.
What if I clicked? What harm does it do?
Clicking suspicious links can lead to many cybersecurity concerns, the core of them being malware. Some scripts can be published in links that install malware on your computer or device, giving hackers access to everything. We live on our phones and all of our information is also housed on there.
The other thing, they can potentially do, if you followed their links and filled out information is steal that information. Never submit any type of personal information, including payment info for a 'giveaway'.
Never send money to someone for a 'giveaway'. Never pay shipping for a 'giveaway' or 'free item'. These are also red flags that it is not a true giveaway.
Last updated June 12th, 2023 at 11:55 am EST
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