Stay Safe On Snapchat

Snapchat users are being urged to stay alert to hackers stealing account details. Users of the photo and message sharing app are being tricked into revealing log-in information by scammers pretending to be their friends. 

Once given access, often by getting the two-factor authentication codes (2FA), the hackers can exploit various personal details including private photos they can use to extort money from the victim. 

Action Fraud has received more than 300 reports of this scam since January, with 112 reports from London. Hackers often claim to be a friend who is locked out or needs help with their account, or urgently needs financial help. Fraudsters may claim they want to add you to a friends list or ‘circle’ and need your details to do so.

Once the account is compromised, the scammer can then use that account to hack other users by pretending to be from someone the user knows. 

 You can protect yourself by: 

• Checking messages are genuine by using other means to verify such as a phone call or face-to-face. 
• Double-checking friend requests and not accepting them from people you don’t know. 
• Not giving your log–in details, codes or PIN to anyone and avoiding sharing information like your phone number or email address over social media. 
• Creating a strong password. For example, use three random words which mean something to you but are random to each other. 

• Set up 2FA which adds another layer of security to your online accounts. This means that even if a hacker has your email address and password they still can’t get in to your account. The website  Turnon2fa  contains up-to-date instructions on how to set up this up across popular social media platforms. 

For more cyber fraud-prevention tips for the workplace, you can take part in our 12 week Cyber Security Course here