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Oh, How Pinteresting!: Addressing Spam on Pinterest

Addressing Spam on Pinterest

As Pinterest grows, spammers have also grown within our community. While the technology we use to detect spam becomes more advanced each day, we want Pinners to know what to do in case you come across suspicious content or links while browsing Pinterest.

First: What is spam and how can you report it?

Similar to spam emails that have plagued Internet users for years, it’s possible that you’ll encounter spam while using Pinterest. In most cases, spam accounts on Pinterest create pins with misleading links and follow many people in hopes that you’ll visit their boards.

You don’t need to be concerned if a spam account follows you on Pinterest, but you should definitely feel empowered to let us know about it.

Report one or more of their pins using the Report Pin button. Just click on any pin to view it in full-size. Then, on the right-hand side of the pinned image, you’ll see the Report Pin button which will open a menu to choose your type of report.

Reporting a pin helps everyone by removing the pin from public feeds. A reported pin also gives us information about the suspicious account and the spam links they’re trying to promote.

Second: How can you protect your account?

There are many online spam tactics, but following general Internet-safety practices will go a long way:

If you click on a link and the resulting page isn’t what you expect, return to Pinterest.com.
Don’t click on a pin that promotes a free giveaway or looks like an advertisement. Pinterest doesn’t have any advertising and we don’t post surveys, giveaways, or other promotions. If an offer seems too good to be true, it’s very likely spam.
Pinterest will only ask for your login and password details on Pinterest.com or on our official iPhone app. Don’t log in on other websites or on other apps.
Pinterest.com is the only Pinterest website; other addresses containing the name “Pinterest” are not legitimate.
Avoid interacting with accounts where their pins do not link to relevant content or their pins all link to the same source.
You should choose unique, difficult-to-guess passwords for all of your online accounts, and you should update them regularly. Don’t reuse passwords across websites. If you’re ever concerned about your account, create a new password.

via [blog.pinterest.com]