In today’s age of technology, we see an unending surge of information, often more than we can handle, causing us to sometimes lower our defenses in cybersecurity and protection. In these situations, it becomes relatively easy for fake social media profiles to worm their way into our real-person network, and it has become a radically common phenomenon today. In late 2017 and early 2018, Facebook detected and suspended 1.3 billion fake accounts, with still approximately 66 to 88 million profiles yet to be removed. And research shows that fake profiles are not just on social media handles like Facebook and Twitter anymore, but also on professional websites like LinkedIn. But neither social media companies nor technological innovations have found ways for users to identify these accounts. As Arun Vishwanath of New York, opines, the people creating the fake profiles are of course the problem, but the bigger problem is the people who fall for them.
Mr.Vishwanath conducted research by creating a fake online profile, to understand what exactly motivates people to be so non-discerning while accepting requests on social media. When flooded with positive responses from more than half a percentage, he delved into unearthing their reasoning behind doing so. The fundamental thing is that people believe there to be a real person behind each profile, not suspecting complete fabrication whatsoever. Other reasons included social politeness, mutual connections, profile aesthetics, etc. Users also mistakenly assume that the platform’s privacy settings will protect them from fake profiles of malicious intent.
Users must practice more restraint and caution while engaging online on social media platforms to ensure their own protection, instead of merely relying on the company’s safety guidelines. Adults need to coach their children and supervise their accounts and their connections and friends, and companies themselves need to provide more protection from potentially fake profiles, augmenting their own staff and automated efforts. They also need to maintain a stream of intercommunication, where a detected fake profile on one platform should be conveyed to the other platform companies. Because people tend to create fake profiles on multiple platforms with the same name and email address.
For further information, please click on https://www.arunvishwanath.us/2018/09/21/why-do-so-many-people-fall-for-fake-profiles-online/