In 2024, social media became a perfect crime scene.
Where millions once found connection and community, scammers discovered a goldmine. They didn't need masks or guns – just a fake profile, a compelling story, and the trust we place in our screens. The transformation was subtle but devastating: yesterday's clumsy email scams evolved into sophisticated digital traps, camouflaged within our daily scrolling routines.
Think of it as the greatest magic trick of the digital age. While we shared photos on Instagram, caught up with friends on WhatsApp, and built professional networks on LinkedIn, fraudsters were studying our habits, learning our languages, and perfecting their deceptions. They didn't just adapt to our digital lives – they became part of them.
The result? A world where that job offer in your LinkedIn inbox might be fool's gold, where a WhatsApp message from your "bank" could empty your account, and where even a familiar face in a video might be an AI-generated mirage. The platforms we trusted to bring us closer have become hunting grounds for digital predators.
As we pull back the curtain on this year's surge in social media scams, one thing becomes clear: in the age of digital deception, your scrolling thumb might be your biggest vulnerability. Here's how the fraudsters rewrote the rules of social media – and how they turned our connections into their weapons.
WhatsApp
This year, WhatsApp became a prime tool for cyber scammers, leveraging its large user base in India. Among the most common tactics were fake KYC (Know Your Customer) requests, where scammers impersonated bank or government representatives, urging victims to share sensitive details or click malicious links, leading to unauthorised account access.
Another prevalent scam involved sending APK (Android Package Kit) files disguised as essential downloads. Victims who installed these files unknowingly activated malware, exposing their personal data or enabling unauthorised transactions.
The platform's 2023-launched screen share feature also became a tool for fraud, with scammers posing as Flipkart executives to view OTPs and private messages in real time.
Recognising these risks, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) issued an advisory in January, urging users to enable two-factor authentication, avoid suspicious messages, and report fraud.
Facebook
Meta-owned Facebook was also exploited by scammers in several notable cases which ended up in colossal financial losses. One such instance exploiting the vulnerabilities in Meta’s ad systems involved fraudulent advertisements posing as interest-free loan offers from Al-Khair Baitul Maal, an urban cooperative society located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Victims were asked to pay upfront fees for loans that were never disbursed. Despite numerous complaints, Meta failed to take action in many cases, allowing the fraud to continue for months.
Another Facebook-based scam exploited users with fake "pregnancy job" offers, luring victims with promises of lakhs of rupees to impregnate women who supposedly couldn't conceive with their husbands. Scammers demanded upfront payments for "registration", medical tests, and taxes.
Lastly, the platform was also exploited for creating elaborate traps that prey on the aspirations and vulnerabilities of parents. Fraudulent pages like "India Kids Model" and "Lotus Star Kids" lured victims with promises of modeling opportunities for children, only to deceive them into financial scams.
Using fake Meta ads and Telegram groups, scammers built trust by delivering small returns before disappearing with larger investments.
YouTube
YouTube, the online video sharing platform, also became a vehicle for fraud this year. There have been two notable examples covered by Decode that highlight how job seekers became unsuspecting victims of elaborate traps via YouTube vlogs.
Dubai-based YouTuber Faizal Khan, through his channel Baba Vlogs, lured Indian job seekers with promises of lucrative overseas jobs. His videos, offering placements in Russia and other countries, convinced many to pay hefty visa and ticket charges.
However, several individuals were misled into traveling to Russia, only to be trapped in war zones or coerced into military roles. Families blamed the channel for their plight, though Khan denied deliberate wrongdoing.
YouTube vlogs were also a key tool in Bobby Kataria's fraudulent job consultancy schemes, luring victims with promises of lucrative international employment. His videos advertised positions in countries like the UAE, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, featuring claims of quick processing and guaranteed success.
Using his channel’s reach, Kataria targeted vulnerable audiences, coupling job-related content with fitness tips and motivational posts to build trust. His vlogs generated widespread engagement, with thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
However, investigations revealed a dark underbelly to these operations: victims were not only defrauded financially but, in some cases, trafficked abroad and coerced into working in illegal enterprises like call centers and cryptocurrency scams.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn, the premier platform for professionals, too became a breeding ground for scammers preying on job seekers. One of the most common schemes involves fraudsters posing as recruiters for top-tier companies, luring candidates with fake job offers and lucrative career opportunities.
The catch? They ask for money upfront for resume reviews, upskilling courses, or bogus referrals, leaving victims empty-handed and out of pocket.
Decode reported how despite numerous red flags, many candidates fall victim to these scams, especially when LinkedIn’s reporting systems and verification processes are insufficient. The problem has only intensified, with fake profiles growing unchecked, leveraging the platform’s vast reach and credibility.
Instagram with its wide reach and popularity also became a breeding ground for scammers. One particularly disturbing example involves deepfake videos of celebrities promoting illegal betting services.
Decode reported on how a vegetable dealer from Bareilly, encountered an ad on Instagram featuring a doctored video of Shah Rukh Khan endorsing a Telegram channel run by a match predictor. The video, convincingly altered to show Khan praising the channel’s betting predictions, led the victim to place a bet on an IPL match, ultimately losing a significant amount of money.
Later, he discovered that the video was a deepfake, and the actor had never endorsed the service.
This trend of using AI-generated celebrity endorsements had also spread across multiple Telegram channels, where scammers manipulated deepfake videos of figures like cricketer Virender Sehwag and singer Sonu Nigam. These doctored videos promoted betting services that lured people into gambling, despite betting being illegal in India.