Social media phishing involves attackers impersonating trusted contacts or brands to steal credentials or install malware via direct messages, comments, or posts. To protect yourself, never share sensitive information like passwords or financial data in messages, and avoid clicking links unless you are certain they are genuine.

Key safety practices include:

• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)on all accounts to prevent unauthorized access even if passwords are compromised.

• Verify sender identity by checking for profile inconsistencies, such as new accounts, stock photos, or slight variations in usernames, copy paste responses and confirm unexpected requests via a separate communication channel.

• Inspect URLs by hovering over links to preview their destination, avoiding shortened URLs, and ensuring the site uses HTTPS encryption.

• Limit personal information on your profile to reduce the data attackers can use for targeted social engineering and adjust privacy settings to restrict who can view your content.

• Report and block suspicious accounts or messages immediately, and if you click a malicious link, disconnect from the internet, scan for malware, and change your passwords.