Watching Reels isn't risk-free! Here’s how hackers can target you

Instagram Reels Risks: Imagine you are watching Instagram Reels. Suddenly, a video appears in your feed explaining how to get a premium subscription to a service for free. You follow the steps outlined in the video, only to discover days later that your financial information, passwords, and other credentials have fallen into the wrong hands. You are left wondering how your passwords and data were leaked and how this is even happening. Researchers have found that a meticulously planned scammer campaign is behind this.

Targeting via Reels

According to researchers at ReversingLabs, two distinct cybercrime campaigns are currently underway. They are targeting people through TikTok videos and Reels. Users are first shown a short tutorial video, and then malware is installed on their devices via a malicious website. This malware continuously transmits the user's information to the hacker. Since tutorial videos are commonplace on platforms like Instagram, users often fail to detect the hackers' ploy. Reports indicate that hackers are using an info-stealer named 'VidarStealer' for this purpose, making it faster and easier to target individuals.

How did this threat emerge on social media?

In these videos, hackers claim to offer free access to paid subscriptions for popular software and apps. Millions of such videos exist on social media. The videos appear harmless and look just like any other Reel. Since millions of people spend hours on social media every day, scammers have access to a vast pool of potential targets. This method eliminates the need for scammers to send bulk emails or call individual users. How can one protect oneself from such scams?

Such scams on social media are likely to increase in the near future. With the advent of AI tools, hackers no longer require deep technical knowledge to execute sophisticated operations. Therefore, observing certain precautions can help protect you from these scams:

Be aware that scams can occur on social media through content like Reels.
Exercise caution regarding videos promoting free software, apps, or their "cracked" versions.
Report suspicious videos and accounts.
Do not download files from unknown links or sources.