The number of phishing accounts has risen by 150 percent in one year.From April to June 2016, various IT experts examined ten strong brands on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. These included BMW, Capital One, Chanel, Amazon, DirecTV, Nike, Samsung, Shell, Sony and Starbucks, and the investigation revealed that almost a fifth of all accounts were falsely using the brand name. Of the 902 fraudulent accounts linked to the ten brands, around 30 percent offered fake products and services. A further four percent wanted to steal user information (phishing) or attempted to install malware, protested against the company or parodied it.More phishing accounts False advertising accounts make up around two thirds of all scam sites. These have been developed solely to generate advertising revenue. Such accounts use their false brand identity to direct visitors to junk websites. These sites spam those who are enticed with advertisements or download adware onto their computers. The fastest growing threat in social media today is phishing accounts, the number of which increased by 150 percent between 2015 and 2016.Many make fun"Many unauthorized accounts are fake brand accounts. They are only there to defraud customers or damage the brand's reputation," write the experts from Proofpoint in their report. Very often, they imitate the brand in order to make fun of the company or the brand's customers. "These protest accounts diminish brand value and create a negative or even hostile experience for customers."
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The number of phishing accounts has risen by 150 percent in one year.From April to June 2016, various IT experts examined ten strong brands on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. These included BMW, Capital One, Chanel, Amazon, DirecTV, Nike, Samsung, Shell, Sony and Starbucks, and the investigation revealed that almost a fifth of all accounts were falsely using the brand name. Of the 902 fraudulent accounts linked to the ten brands, around 30 percent offered fake products and services. A further four percent wanted to steal user information (phishing) or attempted to install malware, protested against the company or parodied it.More phishing accounts False advertising accounts make up around two thirds of all scam sites. These have been developed solely to generate advertising revenue. Such accounts use their false brand identity to direct visitors to junk websites. These sites spam those who are enticed with advertisements or download adware onto their computers. The fastest growing threat in social media today is phishing accounts, the number of which increased by 150 percent between 2015 and 2016.Many make fun"Many unauthorized accounts are fake brand accounts. They are only there to defraud customers or damage the brand's reputation," write the experts from Proofpoint in their report. Very often, they imitate the brand in order to make fun of the company or the brand's customers. "These protest accounts diminish brand value and create a negative or even hostile experience for customers."
