We’ve all heard about Internet and business scams: people stealing your personal and financial information or the classic, “Send us money so we can send you more” phishing scheme. But there are other ways businesses and consumers are getting scammed online: fake and fraudulent profiles. These are websites and social media accounts that look and read like an authentic site, but are nothing more than a copycat. Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery in this case. These fake sites and social media profiles can be detrimental to your business because they can be misleading to customers, steal their money, and give you a bad reputation. There’s nothing worse than getting a bad name from something that you have nothing to do with. But luckily there are ways to guard yourself against posers and Internet scammers.
Don’t be a victim to fake websites and social media profiles.
2 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Fake Profiles.
1. Get Verified
If you have ever been to a celebrity or major brand’s social media profile, there is a little blue check mark in the corner that proves verification of authenticity. These pages are the real deal. Twitter and Facebook both have ways of verifying authenticity to guard against fakes. Now, while there is little that can be done about fan run sites, it’s important to shut down or deter away profiles that are claiming to be real.
2. Link Everything Together
If your business has a website and social media accounts (which it should!), it is beneficial to link them all together. On your website, list out all social media handles and platforms and on your social media pages, there are places to add website information and other social media accounts. Having everything shown in one place allows the consumer to be secure in where they are being taken. Make it easy on the visitor and hard for the copiers.
Don’t let Internet scammers ruin your business. Knowing how to protect yourself and consumers from fraudulent websites and social media accounts could be one of the best ways to keep your business thriving. People are only going to get smarter and craftier online; be sure you know how to protect the business you’ve worked so hard for.
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