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If you’ve been using social media for long enough, you will likely encounter Facebook scams.

Whether it’s a shady investment scheme, a fake message from Facebook support, or a copycat account pretending to be one of your legit connections, scammers and their antics abound.

Social media scams aren’t just annoying; they’re expensive. In 2022, they accounted for $2.7 billion in losses.

Let’s look at the most common types of Facebook scams, how to identify a mock message, and see what to do when you suspect someone is trying to scam you.

Contents

What are Facebook scam messages?

Facebook scam messages are fraudulent communications sent by scammers through one of Facebook’s channels (like Messenger or Marketplace) with the purpose of defrauding or tricking the recipient.

Scam messages can look like an official notification from Facebook or an urgent request from a friend.

Facebook scams - screenshot of a facebook scam in messanger.

Source

They often look legitimate because they’re sent from legitimate accounts that a scammer either stole or bought on a black market for Facebook accounts.

Under the cover of familiarity, they trick people into sending money, sharing sensitive information, or clicking on a malicious link.

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7 common Facebook scams to watch out for

Scammers get pretty creative with their approaches. However, there are a handful of common tactics they use to dupe unsuspecting Facebook users. Knowing them ahead of time will help you spot them quickly.

1. Meta Business support phishing scam

In this heist, fraudsters send an official-looking Facebook message claiming to be Meta or Facebook support. They’re usually phishing for sensitive information about your company like login credentials.

The scam message typically says your account has a problem and will be deactivated if you don’t click a link and follow the steps.

Facebook scams - screenshot of a common Facebook scam message.

There are several variations on this theme. Maybe you’ve “violated community guidelines,” or your account has been “flagged for attention.” Then, you’re taken to a form or landing page with instructions to fill it out—which means giving up the virtual keys to your business. Which can play havok with your brand safety.

2. “Look who died” scam

This ploy tries to get individual Facebook users to click a malicious link by piquing their curiosity. The user will see a message titled “Look who died” or “Is this you?” with a link attached.

The link isn’t to an obituary or biographical website, though. Click it, and you’ll either get hit with a virus or asked for some personal data.

3. Fake contests or giveaways

Using the allure of easy money, fraudsters send fake Facebook giveaway announcements stating the user has won a prize.

These good tidings can come from friends’ hacked accounts and look convincing. Once you click the link, you may be asked to pay a small fee to release a large pile of money. That’s how one user lost $5,000 to a scammer.

4. Fake donation or investment opportunities

Sometimes, an internet thief will steal or buy an existing account and completely change it (images, biography, etc.) to make it look like a well-known or trustworthy person. Using that account, they’ll send messages to users asking for donations or inviting them to invest in a fraudulent asset.

Another version of this scam is fake loans at incredibly low rates. Of course, once you fill out your financial information, the scammer is off to pose as you to get new credit cards, etc.

5. Fake quiz scams

This one is particularly tricky because it seems benign. Someone sends you a cool quiz that promises to guess what kind of toast you are based on a few pieces of information (you’re lightly browned sourdough, by the way).

All you need to do is tell the quiz the make and model of your first car, your favorite pet’s name, and the street you grew up on. A keen eye will spot that these are also common security questions.

Some quizzes also ask you to access your account, which is a big red flag.

Facebook scams - Scam quiz asking for personal details.

Source

Sure, you get to learn who your celebrity doppelganger is, but then you get to cancel all your credit cards and call the bank to recover your savings account.

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6. Facebook Marketplace scams

Not all Facebook scam messages happen on Facebook Messenger. Marketplace is another feature rife with fraudsters looking to make a quick buck.

Marketplace has some buyer protections in place, so the typical play is moving transactions off the app and onto email or in person. The perpetrator will sell fake or broken goods, collect money and never ship a product, or collect a rental deposit for an existent item. And if you conducted the transaction away from Marketplace, you may not have a recourse to recover what you lost.

7. Romance scams

This one can hurt a lot, both financially and personally. It’s also really common with nearly a quarter of adults in the US saying they’ve been the target of a romance scam.

In this case, someone creates a fake Facebook page and contacts users via Messenger. The scammer, who usually says they live far away, slowly builds trust through Facebook conversations.

The scammer eventually starts asking for money. It might be to help a sick friend or to buy a plane ticket so the two social media-crossed lovers can finally meet in person. Once the funds show up, the scammer disappears.

What should you do if you suspect a Facebook scam?

Okay, you just heard the familiar ding of a new Facebook message. It’s a friend in need, a promise of new wealth, or your celebrity crush finally asking for your number. You sense danger, but what do you do next?

Assess before you act

The first step is to do nothing. Give yourself time to assess the situation.

Here’s how to tell if a message likely came from Facebook:

  • It was delivered in-app or via email (Facebook won’t contact you through Messanger).
  • The email address is legit (we’ve listed legit email addresses below).
  • There won’t be a request for money, log-in credentials, or personal information.
  • There won’t be out-of-focus or oddly placed logos.
  • There won’t be misspellings or incorrect grammar.

If you notice any of the above, don’t forward the message or engage with the spammer. And most of all…don’t click any links!

Verify emails from Facebook

Some Facebook scam messages can go directly to your email inbox. There are a few ways to verify their validity.

First, check the email address. Facebook says they use a few addresses:

  • facebookmail.com
  • facebook.com
  • fb.com
  • metamail.com
  • meta.com

Second, look for the Facebook logo in Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Apple Mail.

And third, go to https://www.facebook.com/recent_emails/security and see if Facebook has sent you an email recently.

Check your business account

Did you just get a warning that your business account may get blocked? Don’t stress! It’s probably a scam, but you can check it out quickly and safely.

Go to Business Support Home on Facebook and check your account’s status. It’ll tell you if there are any outstanding issues, like noncompliance with advertising or community rules. You’ll also see what legitimate actions you can take to rectify the situation.

Report it

While you don’t want to engage with the message directly, you don’t have to sit on your hands and do nothing. You can report potential scam messages like you would inappropriate content.

Go to the Report a Message page and follow the instructions.

You can also block messages from the sender or block the account totally so you don’t get hit with more malicious messages.

Strengthen your security

Many Facebook scammers are trying to get access to your Facebook account. If you see a suspicious message, it’s a good reminder to make your account as difficult to break into as possible.

Here are a few ways to beef up your Facebook account’s security:

Facebook scam messages don’t have to ruin your day

It’s almost inevitable that you’ll see a scam message on social media. So many scammers are looking to take advantage of any opening they can exploit that you may question if you want to be on social media in the first place.

But don’t fret! The vast majority of scammers rely on you to take an action for their evil plot to work. As long as you treat any Facebook message with care and keep your passwords secure, you can scroll on safely.

Accelerate your business growth

Talk to an expert and learn how LocaliQ can move your business forward.

Accelerate your business growth

Talk to an expert and learn how LocaliQ can move your business forward.