Twitter is a popular micro-blogging platform with more than 300 million users sending about 500 million tweets per day. The real-time nature of the social networking platform allows users to express their thoughts and opinions, but Twitter had also become a place for fraudsters to carry out financial scams. No more.
Twitter has updated its policy to include some stern actions against people resorting to Twitter for carrying out frauds and scams. If found guilty of practising financial fraud on the micro-blogging platform, users could lose their account, or at the very least face a temporary block.
"We want Twitter to be a place where people can make human connections and find reliable information. For this reason, you may not use Twitter's services to deceive others into sending you money or personal financial information via scam tactics, phishing, or otherwise fraudulent or deceptive methods," Twitter noted in its financial scam policy.
Twitter, in its policy, listed out a few deceptive tactics that could lead to a suspension of the account. Moreover, Twitter has warned against creating accounts, positing tweets, or even sending DMs with the intent of promoting fraudulent schemes.
If you're a Twitter user, you must avoid these practices:
Deceiving users into sending money, or asking for financial information under a fake account, probably posing as a public figure or an organisation.
Luring someone with a large amount of money in return for a smaller initial payment via wire transfer or prepaid debit card.
Offering fraudulent discounts, where the discounts are paid using stolen credit cards or financial credentials.
Posing as a bank affiliate to gain personal financial information or carrying out any other phishing scam.
If users find any of these above behaviours or suspect fraud, they can report to Twitter for action. To do so, tap the down arrow on the tweet and select Report Tweet and then choose "It's suspicious or spam." Choose the most relevant option to best describe the nature of the spam and submit the report.
Twitter will then take action against the reported account or tweet based on the severity of the violation of its policy. Twitter could lock an account if it detects spam, but providing information such as phone number and solving reCAPTCHA can restore access. This is a base-level action.
Twitter will blacklist or warn against certain URLs it things to be unsafe, delete tweets and put temporary locks on account if it found a scam, phishing or any other fraudulent activities for the first time. Repeated offence will get a permanent suspension.
