A Study on the Awareness and Preventive Measures Against Scams in Friendship Based Social Networking Apps among young adults

Abstract

The rapid rise of friendship- based social networking apps has provided a new way to connect with people online but it additionally led to scams and frauds that target young adults in particular. Since these digital platforms become more famous users become more likely to be targeted by cyber threats like phishing attacks, fake friend requests and identity theft. The goal of the study is to examine the degree of awareness level, to know about the dangers of these platforms and the precautions they have taken to keep themselves safe. The study involves a descriptive approach, with data collected using a structured questionnaire distributed to young adults 18 to 30. The main objectives are to analyse the psychological, social, financial and privacy hazards that users face, to evaluate the level of awareness about scams, to identify preventive techniques used and to figure out the role of social influence in shaping app usage. The findings indicate that while people have become more aware about the risk associated with scams, there are still gaps in awareness of technology and an ongoing implementation of security measures. The study underscores the worth of focused guidance, regular training in digital citizenship, and open conversation in enabling users to safeguard themselves as well as creating safer online spaces for young adults