Pune: As digital services in India continue to expand through Tier-2, Tier-3 locations and beyond, Quick Heal Technologies Limited, a global provider of cybersecurity solutions, predicts that social media scams will target Indian users throughout 2026. The forecast is based on telemetry gathered by researchers at Seqrite Labs, India’s largest malware analysis facility, which reveals that platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram will become primary hunting grounds for cybercriminals. By exploiting trust, speed and disappearing messages, an increasing number of scammers are steal identities, drain bank accounts and hijack personal data. AI-generated fake profiles, deepfake videos and hyper-realistic phishing pages will make scams nearly indistinguishable from legitimate interactions. This, in turn, will amplify risks for families, students and professionals who rely on these apps daily.
According to researchers at Seqrite Labs, scammers are mastering platform-specific tricks. On Snapchat, they send fake bonus alerts and impersonate friends to steal passwords and OTPs. Instagram is used to host bogus giveaways, investment schemes and romance traps that demand upfront fees or harvest personal details through polished DMs. WhatsApp and Telegram channels are leveraged by scammers to circulate shortened links masquerading as courier updates, tax refunds or job offers, leading to phishing sites that capture credentials or install spyware disguised as utility apps. From counterfeit “KYC verification” pages that mimic bank portals to fake influencer accounts promising guaranteed returns, cybercriminals have already defrauded users across metros and tier-2 cities alike.
Seqrite’s India Cyber Threat Report 2026 reveals that social engineering is being predominantly used by threat actors to defraud unsuspecting users by deploying malware such as Trojans, File Infectors, and Potentially Unwanted Applications, which account for 65% of all malware incidents detected by researchers at Seqrite Labs. Gen Z and elderly users face the highest exposure due to oversharing of personal milestones and low cyber awareness literacy, respectively, making them prime targets for emotional manipulation and fake urgency tactics.
To stay safe, Quick Heal Technologies Limited advises users to enable two-factor authentication on all social accounts, keep profiles private, filter unknown DMs and avoid downloading apps from outside official stores. Parents must discuss red flags like urgent money requests, misspelled domains and too-good offers with teens. Students should carefully scrutinise job portals and admission links by typing URLs manually rather than clicking forwards. Reporting suspicious activity immediately via platform tools and the national cybercrime portal can halt fraud chains before they spread.
Quick Heal Total Security version26 with AntiFraud.AI delivers comprehensive protection against this evolving threat landscape, blocking phishing links in real time, detecting fake apps before installation and alerting users to fraudulent calls and messages across devices. Its AI engine analyses behavioural patterns to flag deepfake scams and social engineering attempts, while safe banking guards and dark web monitoring ensure personal data stays secure, making it an essential shield for every household navigating social media in 2026.
