The introduction of new technologies in the context of catering, it seems, also opens the way to new and worrying strategies in the context of cybercrimine.
According to what was stated by Dianne de Guzmandeputy director of Eater SFsome are spreading online scams which concern restaurants and their accounts on social networks.
In this sense, frauds have been identified that promise to receive benefits by sending money discounts on a dinner in a certain room. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, phenomena of this type are growing rapidly. The news organization reported how, in multiple cases, scammers took advantage fake Instagram accounts to pass themselves off as restaurants and commercial activities of various types, not only on American soil.
Fake accounts typically use names similar to the company’s authentic social media names. In the case of John’s Grillthe duplicate account worked like @johnsgrillsf_and the underscore was the only distinguishing feature from the real restaurant’s profile @johnsgrillsf.
Fake Instagram accounts and restaurants: rain of cases in the USA (and beyond)
Other scammers use fake restaurant or business accounts, contact customers and trick them into clicking on a link that prompts victims to reset theirs passwordmost likely leading to a scam of sorts phishing. This type of scam, at least abroad, is certainly nothing new. Similar cases have been reported on several occasions in recent months.
Apparently the platforms also don’t seem to be particularly responsive when it comes to intervening. Reporting a page to Instagram, in fact, involves very slow responses (days, if not weeks), offering cybercriminals ample room for maneuver.
The American context, in this sense, represents the most harassed. In this regard, she also expressed herself Hello Hijazi from the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco stating that if Instagram does not handle these fake business accounts adequately, lawmakers “They may have to get involved at some point“.
