The internet has grown and become ever more accessible in a person’s life. Different actors have taken this opportunity to have unfeathered access to people worldwide to run scam adverts and scam postings. In the past, these scams were often easy to recognize, but especially with the emergence of AI, they are getting ever more challenging to spot. These scam adverts and posts have become exceptionally abundant and unfortunately dominate the gambling news world. Where people from different parts of the world are posting ads for companies that do not exist or encouraging people to press upon a link that leads the user nowhere but allows the scammer access to their phone data, it is becoming a booming business, with many innocent people getting caught in the clutches of these scammers.
Below, we will look at how to spot a scam advert/post and what to do about it to ensure no other people fall victim to the same scam.
How to spot scams?
As previously mentioned, there was once a time when noticing online gambling scams would have been relatively easy, but things are different now. Scammers are becoming more savvy in producing scam ads/posts that look real and can convince a user to click on the link provided. However, despite their increasing savviness, some key ways exist to delineate when an ad or post is a scam. Here are some key things to look out for.
UnVerified accounts: Many of these gambling scams occur through social media, and these companies have become aware of how their sites are nesting grounds for scams, so they have introduced verification. Verification on a social media platform requires submitting certain information and photographs to confirm that the account is legitimate. Many scammers typically do not have the necessary information because they run their scams through fake accounts with different names, addresses, etc. So it’s more important than when you want to click on a link to do so only on verified accounts.
Promises of large bonuses: Many online gambling sites will advertise that their platform offers bonuses or some incentive to sign up. However, there should be a high degree of skepticism when an account promises a significant incentive, unlike many other sites, such as unlimited spins. These are simple ploys to get you to click their link.
Be wary of “insider information”: Another approach scammers take is advertising themselves with specific hacks to help players consistently win games if they pay the scammer a fee. It’s important to remember that the best way to win a game is to play many times and, through trial and error, get better at the game. There are no real hacks to winning a game, and ultimately, this individual may only want you to submit your financial information, like your credit card number, to steal that information. So, always look at people who make wild promises with high skepticism.
What to do when you see a scam?
When you spot a scam, it’s essential to follow a process to remove it from social media platforms and prevent others from falling into it. Here are several ways you can ensure the ad or scammer does not cause harm to anyone else.
Report the post – All social media platforms provide an option to report a post. Once you have done this, the social media platform will use its advanced technology to decipher whether this ad is a scam. If they deem it a fraud, they will remove the post from their platform and possibly remove the account that posted the ad.
Report the scammer to FTC and local authorities – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will document this occurrence and do their investigation in hopes of apprehending the individual or group of individuals who perpetuated the scam. You should also call your local authorities to inform them of the scammer, especially if you have given them money.
What steps are online platforms taking to combat online gambling scams?
Social media platforms have taken steps to verify accounts to help their users feel safer when clicking on an ad or following an individual, but they are also doing other things.
One of the steps they are taking is on their end tracking accounts that have suspicious activities. An account running scam ads is a busier than usual account, and this will attract the attention of the platform, which may see that their account has been messaging and exchanging money with dozens of people and yet only has two pictures and one hundred followers. The account may be real, but the platform will give it special attention to further verify its legitimacy. They also have other fraud detection systems and have been using AI to identify red flags and detect scams quickly.
Social media companies do not like having scams on their sites because it can lead to a poor reputation. So, they do everything possible to ensure the safety of its users.
Conclusion
Scams have only gotten more complex as technology has advanced, and unfortunately, it has become a booming industry despite the harm it causes. That is why it is essential to be vigilant and always suspicious when you see ads or people make any promises that seem too good to be true. It is better to avoid it and, if possible, report it to their proper officials to avoid others possibly falling into the clutches of these scams.
