A scam claiming Instagram users have won a Shein gift card continues to cause frustration across social media - but there are a few simple ways to avoid being targeted.
The elaborate ploy has been encouraging people to hand over their card details by offering a limited-time gift card worth hundreds of dollars.
Although the scam has been popping up for months, Kiwis are falling prey to to online criminals' tactics.
More than $5.8 million was lost in the first three months of this year to cyber security incidents and issues, according to CERT NZ.
The 'Shein scam' affects social media users around the world including in the UK, Australia, across Europe and New Zealand.
Most of the posts follow a similar format and appear similar in appearance, but the ruse has evolved over time.
The accounts tagging Instagram users commonly have no photos with zero followers and bizarre handles.
When the scam first started, lengthy random comments were left under photos encouraging people to click a link or people were tagged in posts which appeared on profiles.
Despite being unable to see your own Instagram handle tagged, it still appears in 'mentions'.
"Were you tagged on the photo? Congratulations! You've won a Shein gift card!" one example states.
Below there is a link which says 'click' which takes you to a website.
After completing a simple few steps, you're prompted to insert details like your name, address, phone number and email. It will say the card will be sent out to you - for the price of postage.
And while some people take careful measures to avoid being tricked, people remain being hassled by bot accounts randomly tagging accounts in their stories.
Frustrated Instagram users have flooded social media with complaints about being inundated with hoax competition announcements.
"If I get tagged in one more Shein gift card post on Instagram..," one person wrote.
"Stop spamming and scamming in Instagram. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop," another said.
"Instagram please do something with 'Shein' massive tagging spam. It's annoying," a third vented.
Netsafe’s chief customer officer Leanne Ross told 1News these scams are unfortunately common.
"They will often ask for some card details or even a small payment (like a postage fee) as a step to supposedly unlocking the prize," she explained.
"The automation technology that powers the bots means they can target more people, faster."
Shein previously spoke out about scams, warning customers to be wary.
A spokesperson said: "Hi Shein fam, we are aware of a scam claiming to provide a credit card number for free Shein items."
"This is fake and in NO WAY endorsed by our company. Please be cautious when engaging online!"
Signs it might be a scam
While it might be a nice idea that you've won something, Ross said there are a couple of things which hint something is amiss which were evident in the screenshots sent by 1News.
"These examples showcase two of the main telltale signs we suggest people look out for when spotting scams: if it’s too good to be true and “out of the blue” communications from a brand or business that you haven’t contacted first.
"If it seems strange that you’ve been tagged randomly, then that’s a red flag. Another common tactic is to make it sound time-limited, to pressure you into action without checking.
"The best way to handle these if you’re tempted to click is to come off the platform you’re on and do that check.
"Ignore any links or numbers they have sent you. Go and find the company’s legitimate contact details on their website and check with their customer service. Sure, in some case it may take a while to receive a response. But real prizes don’t quickly “expire.”
She urged social media users to report any posts doing this, so the platforms can remove such users and slow down the spread.
How to stop being targeted
If you don't want to be tagged in stories:
- Click the three bars in the top right corner when viewing your profile
- Head to 'settings and privacy'
- Tap on 'tags and mentions'
- There you can select tweak who can tag you. One option allows just people you follow while another stops other accounts from being able to tag you at all.
Another way is choosing to 'manually approve tags', which means you have more control over your profile.
Some people have opted to consider changing their profile to private.
If you don't want comments from random accounts:
- Open Settings
- Go to the privacy section
- Click comments
- Go to 'allow comments from' and select your preference
If you don't want to be tagged in random posts:
- Open Instagram
- Go to your profile and settings
- Click the privacy menu and then posts
- Change who can tag you in a post from 'everyone' to 'people you follow'
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