Common social media shopping scams

1. Fake or cloned websites: One of the most common scam tactics involves directing shoppers to websites that look identical to those of reputable brands. These sites use similar branding, logos, and layouts, but have subtle differences in the URL, such as .co instead of .com or .co.za. The pressure of losing out on the Black Friday deal can make consumers less vigilant, which fraudsters exploit by creating fake sites that lure shoppers in with unbeatable offers.
2. Deceptive dropshipping ads: Several ads on social media lead to dropshipping sites masquerading as local businesses, promising quick delivery and premium products. Shoppers may not realize they’ve purchased low-quality knockoffs until their orders arrive, with little to no recourse for returns or refunds. These ads often present as South African-based companies but are sourcing cheap goods from overseas, relying on the perception that because the advert appears on a reputable social media platform, the store is 100% legitimate too.
3. Phishing for personal and payment details: Social media scams frequently employ fake checkout pages or order forms to harvest sensitive information. These sites often display trusted payment icons, creating a false sense of legitimacy. If a site linked to social media seems suspicious, avoid entering personal details. Scammers often use this information for fraudulent transactions.
4. Black Friday giveaways and limited offers: Scam ads offering Black Friday giveaways or urging users to act quickly are designed to bypass normal caution. These pages might ask users to claim a prize by entering personal information or paying a small fee. Countdown timers and ‘last chance’ messages are used to create a sense of urgency, but it’s worth keeping in mind that legitimate retailers don’t use these methods like this to pressure shoppers.

Tips for social media shoppers

• Only trust ads from verified brand accounts, indicated by a blue checkmark, and review their post history and follower count to ensure you’re engaging with the real account.
• Double-check URLs carefully. Scammers use slight URL variations to mimic official sites. When in doubt, type the brand’s website into your browser directly.
• Take a second look at deals that seem too good to be true. While Black Friday discounts are enticing, extreme markdowns, especially on high-end products, are red flags not to be ignored.
• Check for clear contact details. Legitimate sites usually display a customer service phone number, address, or live chat. A lack of contact options should be viewed with suspicion.
• Ensure your security is up to date. Cybersecurity solutions like antivirus, firewalls, and internet protection must be installed on any connected device, especially your mobile phone.

It’s important to balance the excitement of shopping with a healthy dose of caution. By being a bit more vigilant, consumers avoid cybercriminals looking to make a quick buck. If a deal or an ad feels off, take a moment to double-check because protecting yourself online is just as important as finding a Black Friday bargain.

Editor’s Note: This article is written by Cybersecurity specialists at ESET Southern Africa

The post How to Stay ahead of Social Media Shopping Scams this Black Friday appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

FollowersCart.uk

The first recommendation for buying TikTok followers for sustainable growth is FollowersCart.uk. This site sells followers based on specific demographics, interests, or locations. Followerscart.uk uses active, engaged users who interact with your content, increasing the visibility and engagement on your profile. Some services may provide you with many inactive or artificial followers, but they won’t necessarily attract those genuinely interested in your posts and activities. So, when you prioritize quality over quantity for TikTok followers, boosting likes is an excellent way to grow a loyal following on TikTok organically.

Key features;

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FollwersCart.uk offers you a real-time tracking facility to track your order’s progression. Thus, you will be placing your order for TikTok followers, and then at the moment, you will know the number of followers added to your account. Due to tracking progress, you are sure to get transparency and knowledge at all times about the status of your order. This feature lets you sleep easy knowing when your order will be complete and the amount of growth you are gaining along the way.

• Instant Notification

FollowersCart.uk keeps you updated in real-time with instant notifications. In addition, a notice will be sent to you when the order is complete: that your added followers were added to your TikTok account. Instant notifications keep you posted so you will not need to assume when the service is done. This instant notification frees you from worrying about whether or not your order is properly processed so your TikTok growth is made to be smooth and as transparent as possible.

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Another major benefit of FollowersCart.uk is its availability to you all the time. The website works every day and night; you can order or contact support at any time, anywhere in the world. A website is open for use 24/7; just log in and check on any order when assistance is needed. It is always available and ensures you don’t suffer from these kinds of delays or wait for support; thus, it is convenient as well as reliable for users who are in different time zones or have different time scales.

SocialFollowers.uk

If you are looking for the best sites for buying TikTok followers, your second recommendation would be SocialFollowers.uk. It has become very popular these days for its top-class services to users who want to promote their TikTok profiles. What makes SocialFollowers.uk different is that it offers you real, active followers so that your TikTok account grows organically and authentically. In contrast to most services, SocialFollowers.uk will ensure that you don’t receive any fake accounts or bots that might adversely affect your profile’s credibility.

Key features;

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For instance, SocialFollowers.uk gives priority to your personal and payment information. The site utilizes elevated degrees of encryption to ensure that all transactions are done on the site safely. That implies your Visa card details, billing data, and individual information will be protected from hackers or data breaches. So you will not have anything to stress over while you’re making purchases. You can purchase TikTok followers without compromising over protection infringement or false exercises.

• No Risk of Account Suspension

SocialFollowers.uk uses organic growth methods, which means they avoid tactics that could violate TikTok’s terms of service. By focusing on real engagement and gradual follower increases, they ensure that your account won’t be flagged or suspended. This makes the platform a safer option for users looking to grow their profiles without facing penalties or the risk of losing their accounts for using unethical practices.

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SocialFollowers.uk places a lot of importance on customer privacy. The website ensures that no information about you will ever be released to any third parties. So, rest assured that your identity is, like your contact details, safe from prying eyes. That means, because it keeps the guarantee of discretion over sales and misuse of data, it’s a sure bet for any user who prefers not to reveal his or her identity but still wants to maximize his or her TikTok presence.

Also read:

• • How to increase your TikTok video views
  • TikTok introduces a new way for creators to share premium content
  • A step-by-step guide on creating a playlist on TikTok

BoostLike.uk

The third recommendation to get noticed is boostlike.uk, which provides a more targeted service for growth on TikTok. Users can buy followers depending on their demographics, interests, or locations. This means all followers will be relevant to your niche. BoostLike.uk thus offers active and engaged users who interact with your content. Your profile’s visibility and engagement will thus be boosted. Unlike other services that may tend to have the sending of inactive followers or even fake ones, BoostLike.uk ensures the sent followers are active and real. As such, it is an excellent provider in the development of a loyal and engaged following on TikTok, which grows organically.

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Booster likes. The UK offers a very useful feature of targeting the provided demography, interest, or location while buying followers. That means you can generally target the acquisition of followers with relevance to your niche or brand that may be interested in your content. From age-specific targeting, and geographic region targeting, to audience focusing on specific topics, and booster likes. uk ensures that you attract followers aligned with your content. This targeted approach not only brings about more followers but also ensures more engagement and relevance for your TikTok profile.

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Unlike other follow services that give you followers, not taking an interest in your content, BoostLike.uk differs in its focus on delivering active engaged users. So for that, you will get a return in the form of followers who should like, comment, and share your posts increasing your overall engagement rate. Suppose you’re interested in getting organic growth in your profile on TikTok. In that case, you then should attract an engaged audience, for it is that which brings about actual interaction to help build an authentic following and a potential chance at going viral. With BoostLike.uk, you’re not just moving numbers; you’re creating a community of users that genuinely connects with your content.

• Enhanced Visibility

Buying high-quality, engaged followers for your TikTok profile at Boost Like. The UK will raise the visibility of your content there. As your number of followers grows with real and relevant users, the chance is higher that other users will see your following, primarily because TikTok favors profiles with high engagement rates when bringing up content to the users’ attention. That way, it increases generally the number of organic interactions by people with the content and hence the chances of receiving traction and landing on the “For You” page. BoostLike.uk will improve the visibility of your profile so that it can be viewed by more users and more followers, with a resultant snowball effect.

In conclusion, purchasing TikTok followers from reliable platforms like SocialFollowers.uk, FollowersCart.uk, and BoostLike.uk offers numerous benefits, including organic growth, privacy protection, and enhanced engagement. By opting for targeted, active followers, you can boost your visibility, foster a loyal audience, and accelerate your TikTok success effectively.

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While this new exciting feature is still under development, and not ready for beta testers, WABetaInfo reports that this new future update will introduce a music button within the drawing editor that appears after selecting a photo or a video for the status update. Just like it’s done on other Meta-owned platforms including Facebook and Instagram, users will then be able to search for songs or specific artists by tapping this button, which will make it easier for them to find and add their favorite music directly to their status updates.

“Once a song is selected, it will be automatically integrated into the status update, allowing users to personalize their photos or videos with music.”  wrote the WhatsApp tracker. “This enhancement will likely make status updates more engaging and expressive, as users can set the mood or add context to their shared content using music.”

Meanwhile, the instant messaging service is also working on several other features including the ability to create and share entire custom sticker packs. This update will enable users to organize their stickers more efficiently by categorizing them into distinct packs directly within the application, without the need to involve third-party apps. You will also be able to personalize your collections, modify packs, and share them easily with your contacts.

WhatsApp is always working on several features to enhance user experience on the app but it should however be noted that not all of them make it to the public release. Some of the features that made it include a ‘Favorites’ Feature to Filter Chats, and a Self-Destruct Audio Message Feature, among others.

The post WhatsApp is Working on a Feature to Share Music Through Status Updates appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

According to the social platform, users will now be able to save contacts to the app itself and manage them via the desktop version of the app, in addition to the mobile interface.

“Until now, the only place you were able to add contacts was from your mobile device, by either typing in a phone number or scanning a QR code. WhatsApp wrote in the blog post. “Soon, you’ll be able to add and manage contacts from the comfort of your keyboard on WhatsApp Web and Windows – and eventually other linked devices.”

WhatsApp has traditionally relied on users’ phone address books to hold and manage contacts, however, this meant that users couldn’t recover their contacts in case they lost their devices. This new development will however address this by making it possible to restore WhatsApp contacts from cloud storage. The company also adds that the feature will additionally be useful “For when you are sharing your phone with others or if you want to separate personal and business contacts when managing more than one WhatsApp account on your phone.”

The social messaging app added that the contact storing feature update will also make it possible for users to finally be able to manage and save contacts by usernames. “Usernames on WhatsApp will add an extra degree of privacy so that you don’t need to share your phone number when messaging someone,” WhatsApp said in the blog post.

This is the first time WhatsApp has publically mentioned the use of usernames, a feature that has been in development since last year according to a May 2023 report by WABetaInfo.

Additionally, Meta has acknowledged the privacy trade-offs that come with storing your information remotely, and to address this, the company has developed a more advanced encryption system to store and share relevant data called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS).

“Contact names are stored encrypted within WhatsApp, and we’ve built this with additional, robust protections by using IPLS to deter access to contacts to anyone except the user.” writes Meta.

Meta further explains that IPLS incorporates new privacy technology that protects users’ contact lists in a privacy-preserving fashion, adding, “To further ensure the safety and security of this system, we’ve partnered with Cloudflare to provide independent third-party auditing of its cryptographic properties.” According to the company, the new technology stack was reviewed by external researchers and NCC Group Cryptography Services, an independent cybersecurity consultancy.

The post WhatsApp Introduces In-App Contact Saving Feature, Teases Usernames appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

Users are already receiving a “Block is changing soon” pop-up message, warning about the impending update.

“If your posts are set to public, accounts you have blocked will be able to view them, but they will not be able to engage,” the message states. “For more control over who can see your posts, you can still protect your account.”

In cases where block was being used to prevent harassment, stalking, and other dangerous behaviors, this isn’t great news. Users can still obscure their tweets by going private, but some people such as celebrities, journalists, influencers, etc. —still need the platform for their livelihood.

Blocking on X used to be simple. If you blocked an account, they couldn’t see your posts or interact with them. This new change makes blocking less restrictive.

This change is just one of many that Musk has made to X since purchasing it. Reportedly, this is being done to promote free speech, something that Elon Musk has professed is needed on the platform. He believes that users should be able to see all public posts, even if they are from someone they have blocked.

It remains to be seen how this change will affect users. Some may find it helpful, while others may find it annoying.

The post New X Update Will Allow Blocked Users to See Your Public Posts, but Can’t Engage appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

With 19 African countries set to hold elections in 2024 and numerous political campaigns underway, worries about misinformation (unintentionally shared false information) and disinformation (deliberately spread fake news) are mounting. The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies reports that disinformation campaigns in Africa have quadrupled since 2022, often backed by foreign states like Russia and China, leading to social instability.

In response to these issues, KnowBe4 was surveyed in June 2024 on political disinformation and misinformation across five African countries: Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, and South Africa. The survey, which included 500 respondents, found that 84% prefer social media for news consumption over traditional channels like radio, TV, and news websites. Anna Collard, SVP of Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA, said, “80% of respondents are consuming news on Facebook and over 50% use TikTok. This is alarming as neither of these channels is very reliable for news.”

The ability to discern fake news may be exaggerated

Another concerning finding is that 82% of respondents feel confident in their ability to distinguish between true and false information online, despite a generally low level of formal education on the topic.

“While most respondents reported being able to tell the difference between real and fake news, I doubt this is the case,” said Collard. “Research has shown that most people overestimate their ability to detect deepfakes, and ironically, more people trust AI-generated images than actual photographs.”

The survey also revealed that disinformation is becoming a significant concern with 80% of respondents expressing high levels of worry about the negative impact of fake news and its potential to cause social division. In Kenya, many respondents said they had seen firsthand how disinformation can lead to tribal conflict.

Collard explains that social media influencers using inorganic hashtags fuelled similar political discord during Nigeria’s election last year. “Social media’s rapid spread of false information and the increasing accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools allow for the quick and cheap creation of sophisticated disinformation campaigns,” she said.

Need for more training and tighter controls

The survey underscores the need for increased education and awareness surrounding misinformation and disinformation. 58% of respondents report receiving no training on the topic while 32% admitted to simply ignoring fake news, highlighting the need for a more proactive and engaged response.

“We need a multi-faceted strategy to combat disinformation,” says Collard. “This approach should encompass enhanced awareness and critical thinking among users; coordinated government action to prevent the spread of fake news (including stronger legislation), and increased vigilance from social media platforms in detecting and removing disinformation campaigns.”

Fake news is an ongoing challenge that requires continuous attention. To fight it effectively, Collard says there’s a need for a combination of new technology, better ways to prevent it, and most importantly, teaching people to consume media while thinking critically, particularly if it is emotionally laden or potentially polarising content.

As the digital landscape develops, so must the strategies for maintaining the integrity of information.

Here’s the full 2024 Political Disinformation in Africa report (LINK)

The post Africans’ Reliance on Social Media For News Increases Their Vulnerability to Disinformation, Survey Reveals appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The service understands that while fans and creators have been interacting through the comments and the Community tab, “conversations would often revolve around a creator’s latest video or post.”

“We wanted to build a space where, for the first time, subscribers can chat with each other and the creator directly,” writes Whitney Taylor, the Head of Design, YouTube Community.

According to the blog post, Taylor says this new feature is a result of feedback from creators and their fans. They heard the creators and their fans want more ways to connect – that for the creators, their content and communities are already on YouTube, “so we have the potential to be the best place for deeper conversations too.”

“Another consistent theme was the desire for belonging – people want a place where they feel included and understood by like-minded peers.”

YouTube acknowledges the importance of balancing vibrant engagement with an environment where you can express yourself authentically, whether you’re sharing something, asking a question, or just hanging out.

“You know that feeling, that magic, that joy that comes from finding a group of people that just get you,” said the director of Product Management at YouTube Bangaly Kaba, during the event. “Communities is a place where you can choose to create that with your fans. This is a place where you and your fans can come together to build even deeper connections over the topics and videos you love, not just posting updates between uploaders or asking for opinions or ideas, but for the first time, subscribers will spark their discussions with you and with each other.”

It is important to understand that the new Communities feature isn’t the same as the already existing YouTube Community feature, which only allows creators to share text and images with their viewers, but doesn’t allow viewers to interact with each other.

The Communities feature is currently being tested on mobile devices with a small group of creators, however, YouTube plans to test it with more creators later this year before expanding to additional channels next year.

The post YouTube Announces “Communities” for Creators to Interact with Viewers appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The country’s Supreme Court told the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to ban access to X within 24 hours and further gave Apple and Google five days to remove the social platform from their mobile app stores. Additionally, the court said that anyone using a VPN to access X  would be subjected to daily fines of 50,000 reais  (approx. USD$8,900, UGX33.2 million).

Before this move,  Musk had been feuding with the Latin American country’s Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had previously ordered X to remove content that is allegedly fake news and misinformation. Musk, and his company, however, responded by claiming that Moraes’s request was “censorship orders.” According to The New York Times report, many of the accounts de Moraes ordered X to block are linked to supporters of the right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro.

On August 17, the social media service through its Global Government Affairs account claimed Moraes had threatened its legal representative Rachel Nova Conceicao in secret and, to protect the safety of its staff, X decided to close its operations in Brazil. Hours before the suspension order, Musk himself quoted his global affairs team’s post calling Moraes “an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge.”

While the micro-blogging platform did close its operations in Brazil, the service remained available and accessible to users in the country which on Wednesday prompted Brazil’s Supreme Court to order the company to appoint a legal representative in the country within 24 hours which X did not comply with calling it Moraes’s “illegal orders to censor his political opponents.”

“Soon, we expect Judge Alexandre de Moraes will order X to be shut down in Brazil – simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.” the company wrote in a statement on Friday anticipating a potential ban.

The social platform has threatened to publish the Brazilian top court’s demands in the coming days and says it will not comply with its orders.

In the past, Brazil has temporarily banned other major social platforms, including Telegram which was banned in 2022, and WhatsApp in 2015, both platforms’ ban lasted for 48 hours.

The post Brazil Supreme Court Orders Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) Banned in Brazil appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

The feature which started rolling out today was first spotted in February by WABetaInfo as it was being tested on iOS and the web before it appeared on Android in April.

The Meta-owned instant messaging platform has also added a “Favorites” section to the calls tab to let you speed-dial your favorite contacts without the need to go through your recent call logs.

“Whether it’s your family group chat or your best friend, your ‘favorites’ will be the same across your chats and calls, so you can speed dial them from your calls tab too.” WhatsApp wrote in a blog post.

If you wish to add a contact or group to your favorites, from your chats screen, select the “Favorites” filter and choose the contact to add. From the calls tab, you can tap ‘Add favorite’ and then select your contacts or groups. You can also add a chat to your favorites by simply long-tapping it and selecting “Add to favorite.” Additionally, there is an option for you to manage your favorite contacts and groups by going to your WhatsApp Settings > Favorites > Add to Favorite. From here, the instant messaging app will let you reorder them how you wish to.

To enjoy this new feature, you will need to update your WhatsApp application by heading to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and finding the latest version of the app. However, it should be noted that while the update has started rolling out today, it will be made available to everyone in the coming weeks.

The post WhatsApp Rolls Out a ‘Favorites’ Feature to Filter Chats appeared first on PC Tech Magazine.

This statement was quite disappointing and highlighted a gap in understanding and engagement within the influencer landscape in Uganda.

If you ask me, we still have a way to go to have better-defined influencer strategies. As you’ve seen 60% of TikTokers in Uganda, create content by dancing and casually placing a logo in the corner of their videos. Without caring about the music, or product —to them, as long as a song is trending, as long as a dance challenge is trending. While this might be effective for creating brand awareness, it falls short when it comes to driving conversions and actual ROI.

For brands aiming for awareness and conversions, I’d recommend a mix of content creators and influencers where influencers can amplify pre-created content and have their key performance indicators as reach and visibility.

Why do influencers need to understand your brand before you trust them to support it?

As a brand, influencers need to have a deep understanding of your product before promoting it.

1. Brand Knowledge: When influencers understand your brand’s details, they can speak authentically and confidently about it on their social platforms. This knowledge allows meaningful interactions, ensuring that their communication aligns with brand value. In addition, influencers can accurately represent the brand in aspects like language, dress code, and target audience.

2. Audience Trust: Audiences are more likely to trust and purchase from influencers who demonstrate a genuine understanding of the product. This familiarity builds credibility and trust.

3. Bridges the miscommunication gap: Briefings and training sessions can significantly reduce errors like misspelling brand names, using incorrect hashtags, or tagging the wrong brand pages. Proper education bridges gaps in communication and ensures consistent, accurate messaging.

4. Building a brand army: Influencers should be treated similarly to other key stakeholders, like media partners. Establishing strong relationships and partnerships with influencers can create a dedicated brand army, ready to advocate and promote your brand effectively.

To maximize the potential of influencer marketing, brands should invest in periodic training sessions for their chosen influencers. Equip them [influencers] with the knowledge and resources to support your marketing efforts fully. By doing so, brands ensure that influencers can authentically and effectively represent them, driving awareness and conversions.

ALSO READ: OP-ED: DIGITAL MARKETING, A BLESSING FOR UGANDAN BUSINESSES IN NEED OF GROWTH

Editor’s Note: By; Arinaitwe Ritah (X, @Rita_Arinaitwe)

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