How to avoid Scams and Trolls on Twitter

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Twitter has gone from a silly, novelty social media platform to a source of news and information that almost everyone uses!


But just like other social media networks, Twitter is full of trolls and scammers who aim to harass and provoke you.

You need to know how to avoid scams and trolls on Twitter, here’s how.

1. Don’t be scared to block. It is vital that you know how and when to block someone, whether they are spamming you or bullying, you need to get rid of them before you end up infected with dangerous followers. The sooner you block the spammers or trolls, the better!

2. Don’t get hacked. Twitter accounts get hacked on a regular basis, so it is vital that you keep your account safe by using a strong password that has different numbers, symbols as well as upper and lowercase letters. It is best to use two-factor authentication. Even if it takes longer, it’s worth it to keep your account safe.

3. Don’t be fooled by trending topics. Twitter created trending topics and hashtags to make it easier to find content, but be careful because scammers love to hijack trending topics and add harmful and dangerous links that victims unknowingly click on without thinking.


4. Don’t trust shortened URLs. Just like trending topics, scammers and trolls love to use URL shorteners because they hide the ultimate endpoint of the link. If you see a shortened URL, make sure to check that it is coming from a trusted source. If not, do not click on it!

5. Don’t share your private information. This is an obvious one, but people still do not know not to share their personal information. Sharing your private information on social media platforms with millions and millions of strangers makes you an easy target for scammers and crimes such as identity theft.

6. Don’t ever use public Wi-Fi. It is best not to use other people’s computers as well as any public computers to log in to your Twitter account or any other personal account. Do not trust public Wi-Fi hotspots either as they make it easy for hackers to steal your passwords and other private information.

Use these six tips for Twitter as well as other social media platforms to keep your personal data safe and sound!


To learn more about social media scams, etc. contact the OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) Department on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za.

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