When social media complaints serve as scammer bait

For this week’s Top Story, we’re exposing some of the ways scammers use social media to find victims.

Even though “Karens” wanting to speak to a manager are the subject of countless memes, there are moments when her spirit is inside each of us. For many Canadians, the first instinct after a transaction goes wrong, for a purchase large or small, is to complain online when we can’t get a quick resolution.

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Our neighbours do it, too. A recent American survey found that almost half of customers complain digitally, and that one in four take their biggest problems to social media like Facebook, Instagram or X. But though it can seem like a way to skip ahead of other frustrated customers, posting these problems online can reveal personal information, and the attention can come from the wrong people.

Sometimes these complaint posts quickly garner comments from people (often apparent employees of the company in question) who say they can help. Instead, the contact is the opening salvo in a confidence scam, where the “employee” is actually a criminal trying to get your money or personal information, such as credit card details or access to your computer.

Ayelet Biger-Levin, founder of the ScamRanger scam-prevention app, says these scams differ from others because the first move isn’t made by the scammer; it’s the person venting online who unwittingly starts the process. “The hook starts with the deep desire to get something resolved, and the criminal gives them hope,” she says.

It’s unknown how much of the more than $700 million lost to fraud nationwide last year went to these cons, often referred to as customer service scams. But with only 10% or fewer of Canadians reporting any scams to authorities, they aren’t always on the public’s mind.

Here’s how to keep your money and information safe if you take your customer-service complaints to social media.

How consumer-complaint scams work

Consumer-complaint scams follow a common pattern, starting with a regular customer-service problem, like a refund request.

Biger-Levin encountered one of these scammers herself while on a family vacation. She learned their flights home had been rescheduled for two days later than her expected travel date.

This set up the next step. In trying to fix the problem, Biger-Levin complained on the airline’s Facebook page hoping to get attention from someone who could help. She received a message from what appeared to be a company rep, a profile of a woman named “Laura” which was decked out in the company’s branding scheme. Laura suggested Biger-Levin use a crypto wallet or install a remote access tool to prove her identity. In other examples in the news, they’ve asked for pin numbers, verification codes, secret codes, and other personal info.

At that point Biger-Levin realized it was fake. Despite recognizing it was a scam, she still found herself hoping there would be some sort of remedy.

“I didn’t want to let go yet,” she says. Though she ended the conversation without losing any money, Biger-Levin was so startled she couldn’t get to sleep that night, surprised at herself for wanting to believe despite the red flags.

Why do we fall for these scams?

Falling for any scam has nothing to do with intelligence, says Michelle Hilscher, a behavioural scientist at Deloitte Canada. “In the right circumstances, anybody could fall for these scams, and it’s because scammers are using our own psychology against us.”

Social factors play a role. When you have a bad experience and complain, Hilscher says we seek shared experiences and social validation.

“The scammer probably knows that and is taking advantage of the fact that you’re looking for connection and belonging.” Even if in your mind you just want a solution.

The offer of help is also attractive, she adds, because the goal of complaining online is to get money back, a credit, or to save time. This may lead consumers to be distracted by potential gains, ignoring the possibility they might face further losses.

Finally, there is a misjudgment of risk that can play in. “Consumers don’t want to see themselves as just another number,” Hilscher says. “They want to feel special.” Because they feel their issue is worthy of attention, they can misjudge the outreach from the scammer as legitimate.

“Vulnerability is not a personality trait,” Biger-Levin says. The scammers just happen to reach out at a moment when we are primed to respond to them.

How to stay safe from customer-service scams

There’s an obvious one, Biger-Levin says: share your customer-service woes with those close to you, rather than online. That way you can get support and advice, without a would-be scammer trying to take advantage of you.

More critically, she adds consumers should go through the official channels advertised on company websites, such as complaint forms or customer-service phone lines rather than communicating with people who approach you after you vent online. Scammers may direct us to false websites or contact numbers, so take this information from the company’s secure webpage, visited in your own browser. Don’t use links or numbers sent to you.

Hilscher says it can be helpful to set guiding principles (for yourself or as a family) of how you share personal information, for instance, what you’ll share and how. For instance, make it a rule to never share banking details over social media messages.

“If you have those steps predefined, it slows you down because you already made an agreement with yourself,” she says. “That’s the action plan, and you don’t have to think about it. You’ve just got to do it.”

What to do if you suspect a customer service scam

If you fall victim to a complaints scam, report it to your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Hilscher says that while people who fall victim to scams often wish they could turn back the clock, sharing experiences can be helpful as they recover. And there’s a spinoff effect.

“By sharing your story, it means the next person hears it and maybe doesn’t have to go through the same experience.”

Read more from this issue of The Get:

1. Stop the impulse buy: How to spend less at Costco Canada
2. The actual life of a showgirl, with Allie Goodbun
3. The cold tax: How to save on cold and flu meds in Canada
4. How can I raise my credit limit in Canada?