When you post a complaint about a canceled flight or a lost bag, the first “customer service” reply you get may come from a scammer. This month, Check Point researchers uncovered thousands of fake support accounts that watch for frustrated customers, with hundreds of new ones popping up every day.

• The scammers reply under verified airline posts, using the brand’s logos and names like “claims department” or “help desk.” They apologize, offer to help, and ask to continue the conversation in private. Then they ask for your phone number and booking details, move the chat to WhatsApp, and dangle a refund or compensation.

• On LinkedIn, fake profiles made to look like official bots have been replying to posts. They claim the user’s account is “temporarily restricted” and include a link to an “appeal” page, which is really a phishing site that steals LinkedIn logins. Some of these replies even use LinkedIn’s own link shortener to look more convincing. LinkedIn doesn’t notify people about policy violations in public comments.

• Comment sections do help you keep in touch with friends, share tips, and get a company’s attention when phone and email support go nowhere. But before you post, ask yourself whether the comment reveals your location, your schedule, your family, or the answers to your security questions. When you need help from a company, contact it through its official website or app. A public post isn’t the place for it.