If you’ve ever been tagged on Facebook, X or any other social network, you know how this works. You’ll get a notification that you’ve been tagged in a message and you’ll be able to access it. But why it can be dangerous, read on Techno 24.

If the message you’re tagged in includes a link, it could be a scam. This practice, known as malicious tagging, is becoming more common as scammers use social media to spread malware and phishing attacks.

How does malicious tagging work?

Scammers create fake accounts or steal real profiles to engage in malicious tagging. They tag other users in messages that contain malicious links. These messages are usually unremarkable, but they encourage victims to click on the link out of curiosity.

This can often lead to malware downloads or redirects to malicious websites. Once victims follow the link, their personal data can be stolen and their accounts can be compromised to further spread the scam.

How to detect malicious tags

First of all, if you do not know the person who tagged you in the post, and on top of that this post contains an incomprehensible link and a message like “What are you doing in this video” – it is better to remove the tag in the message settings and in no case click on any links.

Such messages can occur on X and Facebook. You should be more careful about this, especially since Facebook is a more popular platform for such scams.

These tags often appear as comments under posts that contain short links, links without clear URLs, or conversely long and meaningless URLs, and may be accompanied by fake images generated by artificial intelligence.

What should you do if you are tagged?

If you are tagged in a suspicious link:

• Do not follow the link. These links can download malware or steal your personal information.
• Ignore the label. While ignoring the threat may be a safe option, warning other members of the group is a more socially responsible move.
• Report a tag. Each platform has its own way to report abusive content. On X, visit the Help Center; on Facebook, use the “Find Support” or “Report Profile” button on the offender’s account.
• Limit contact settings. Adjust your social media privacy settings to reduce the risk of being tagged by scammers.

It’s important to check your recent downloads and scan for malware that may have been installed on both your smartphone and computer. Taking these precautions will help protect your personal information and prevent further scams.

Although malicious labeling is not a new type of threat, it has become widespread recently. Being aware of this type of threat already gives you a significant immunity, so we recommend sharing this material with your family and friends so that they know how it works and what to do.