February 16th, 2025

Police share tips to spot fake posts used on social media by scammers

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on January 29, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

Tuesday the Medicine Hat Police Service provided tips and highlighted key characteristics of fake posts created by scammers on social media websites and apps that can be used to access personal information.

Police say the content of fake posts will vary but tend to have common features that include staged photos with fake news stories as well as fabricated stories about missing people and pets.

Many of the posts look to gain attention with dramatic statements, powerful images or stories that can evoke strong emotions, including fear or sympathy, and will encourage users to share the post.

Another similar characteristic among fake posts is the usage of identical text across multiple posts, some with slight variations, that include suspicious links that can be phishing attempts at personal data.

These posts are often generated by fake accounts that often have suspicious names. These accounts are often created recently and have little or no friends or followers.

Police are reminding residents to always check sources while surfing social media sites and make sure to research, and corroborate, information and stories from trusted online sources.

Always be wary of urgent requests and posts asking for immediate action, money transfers or any personal information. Police say individuals should report fake posts through the social media platforms reporting feature to help flag the post as false information or spam.

Editor’s note: Scammers are frequently utilizing artificial intelligence programs to generate realistic content to impersonate people by creating fake images, text as well as audio and video. It’s recommended to look for inconsistencies, odd patterns or visual anomalies in social media posts. If “it’s too good to be true,” be wary.

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