Pinterest Scammers Jump on Trendy New Service, Don’t Repin Phishing Pins!

Well, Pinterest has been hot for a few weeks- so naturally scammers have tuned in to the newest big social network and are out in force.

Nothing too major is going on with Pinterest, but if you’re an avid user, you should be on the lookout for phishing scams infiltrating your pins. You’ve seen similar behaviors before, on email, then on Twitter and Facebook, and the basic premise is the same. As VentureBeat reports, pins are showing up offering a gift card to Cheesecake Factory, or something similar. (And what doesn’t say “Middle America aspirational lifestyle” like Cheesecake Factory gift cards?) When an unsuspecting user clicks through, the same old popup/survey/your computer is infected with malware type cycle occurs, creating potential hassle on the user end.

Security advisor Cameron Camp told VentureBeat that the scam is particularly potentially pervasive on Pinterest because “users aren’t very familiar with the platform, so they’re more easily scammed.” And indeed, the temptation to click through will be strong for many given the consumerist nature of the site.

So how can you protect yourself on Pinterest? First and foremost, remember that if it looks to be too good to be true, it probably is- have you ever gotten a gift card just for clicking through to anything during your entire internet tenure? Other than that, try to stick to pins that are clearly some sort of content rather than an offer for a freebie, unless you have seen yourself that the link is legit to avoid spreading malware unwittingly.

Have you run into phishing on Pinterest yet?

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Tags: Malware, Phishing, Pinterest

About the Author

Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.