If you have come across a post on Instagram that says “A hard day for India: We say goodbye to Amitabh Bachchan”, do not let your intrigue click the “Learn More” link. It’s a scam! Scammers are using sophisticated techniques to entangle unsuspected users in a fraudulent investment scheme.
This scenario is becoming increasingly common as scammers exploit social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and X to lure unsuspecting users into fraudulent investment schemes using fake celebrity endorsements. Here’s an explainer on how these scams work and how you can be safe.
How these scams work
These scams are a version of celebrity scam in which scammers use photos or videos along with catchy headlines to peak users’ interest. These scam often involve fabricated news articles and fictitious interviews where celebrities seemingly endorse dubious platforms or apps promising quick riches.
One such scam is prevalent on Instagram in which a photo of Amitabh Bacchan is being used along with a catchy headline. The Times of India tech team came across this scam and found how scammers target users on the social media platform.
First an ad in Stories shows a post with Bachchan’s photo and headline:
HE DIDN’T KNOW THE MICROPHONE WAS ON. THIS IS THE END OF HIS CAREER
This is a very sad day for the whole of India!
Goodbye, Amitabh Bachchan
When we clicked the link, it redirected us to another page that looked like an interview in a national daily. The scam involved a fake news article in the form of an interview, fabricated to create an illusion of credibility and legitimacy.
The sophisticated scam campaign was using Amitabh Bachchan’s image to promote a platform called “Immediate 7.6 Chantix”.
“I don’t have a second business, but I started earning on the platform Immediate 7.6 Chantix A year ago, I invested only 21 000 rupees and quickly increased my investment. Now, I live on the daily income from this platform,” the article reads, suggesting that this is said by Bachchan.
These scams are not limited to celebrities and fraudsters are also using images of other public figures to deceive users.
How to safeguard
To avoid falling prey to online scams, users should be wary of sensational headlines. The second important thing is to always double-check the website address to ensure it matches the legitimate source. In this case, the link led to a suspicious domain (sisueue.com) instead of the official news site, a clear red flag.
The third way is to look for grammatical and spelling errors. There are very few chances of news organisations making such mistakes.
What Instagram-parent company Meta has to say
According to a report by Moneycontrol, Meta has emphasised their commitment to removing content that violates their policies.
“We remove content when we are made aware of it and when it violates our policies whether it was created by AI or a person. Advertisers running ads across Meta technologies must follow our Community Standards and our Advertising Standards. We use automated and, in some instances, manual review to enforce our policies,” a Meta spokesperson said.
“Earlier this week, we also announced that we’re testing the use of facial recognition technology to help protect people from celeb-bait ads and enable faster account recovery. We hope that by sharing our approach, we can help inform our industry’s defences against online scammers,” the spokesperson noted.