Title: Deconstructing social media impersonation scams: A mixed-methods investigation on various strategies used by attackers
Authors: Leonard Selvaraja Fernando
Year: 2024
Organization: Independent research
Type: Investigative Research Paper
Status: Actively researching

ABSTRACT
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Social media impersonation scams have become increasingly sophisticated, exploiting both technical vulnerabilities and human cognitive biases. This paper presents a mixed-methods investigation that combines quantitative analysis of 1,200+ reported scam incidents with qualitative interviews of 40 victims and 12 security researchers. We identify seven distinct attack strategies, ranging from deepfake-assisted identity theft to context-aware phishing campaigns that leverage publicly available personal data. Our findings reveal that attackers increasingly employ multi-stage approaches, combining reconnaissance, trust-building, and exploitation phases. We propose a comprehensive taxonomy of impersonation techniques and evaluate the effectiveness of current countermeasures across major platforms. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for platform designers, policymakers, and end-users.