Safe Computing: 5 Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media

1. Twitter tricks

With keystroke tweaks—such as adding an extra character to a corporate name—cybercrooks create fake social media accounts to pose as customer-care reps.

2. Live-stream lies

Click and you'll land on a website that demands credit card and personal details before any stream is provided, often under the guise of a free trial that can be canceled any time.

3. Fake freebies and discounts

Scammers set up bogus social media pages that look like those of legit companies—and claim to offer free or dirt-cheap products and services.

4. Contest cons and survey swindles

In these schemes, crooks promise a prize for completing an online survey.

5. Gossip gotchas

Your curiosity about Hollywood's elite, sports superstars and other household names is used to tease you into clicking on links promising scandalous video and reports about these folks, for which you provide your credit card info.