Facebook Scams You Need to Know About

Alexandru_BD

In an effort to raise awareness and help protect our community, we are starting a new thread dedicated to reporting Facebook scams. In the digital age, social media platforms like Facebook have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, with convenience and connectivity come various threats, including numerous scams targeting unsuspecting users. To help you stay safe, here are the common Facebook scams you should be aware of and how to protect yourself from them.

1. Phishing scams

Phishing scams involve scammers sending messages or posts that appear to come from Facebook or other trusted sources, asking for personal information or login details. These messages often mimic official communications and use scare tactics to prompt immediate action.

Protection: Never click on suspicious links or provide personal information. Always verify URLs before logging in and enable two-factor authentication for added security.

2. Fake giveaways and contests

These scams promise free products, gift cards, or money in exchange for likes, shares, and personal information. Scammers often create fake pages or posts that look legitimate to lure victims. Such pages may be impersonating well-known brands, individuals, lotteries, or sweepstakes. They dangle the prospect of free prizes, gift cards, or cash giveaways. However, if you engage, you'll likely be asked to provide sensitive personal information like credit card details under the guise of "claiming" your prize or paying bogus fees.

Protection: Verify the legitimacy of giveaways by checking the official website or contacting the company directly. Avoid sharing personal details or engaging with suspicious posts.

3. Romance and extortion scams

Scammers create fake profiles and build romantic relationships with victims over time. Once trust is established, the smooth-talking strangers will eventually request money transfers from their victims, claiming to be in urgent need.
In the sinister "sextortion" variation, scammers coerce targets into sending explicit photos/videos and then demand payment by threatening to release the content publicly.

Protection: Be cautious about sharing personal information and never send money to someone you haven’t met in person. Research the person’s profile and photos to spot inconsistencies.

4. Fake charity appeals

These scams solicit donations for fake charities, often using emotional stories or leveraging recent disasters. Scammers prey on the goodwill of users, especially during crises.

Protection: Research charities before donating and use official donation channels. Legitimate charities have clear records and established donation processes.

5. Investment Scams

These schemes attempt to convince victims they can earn massive returns through low-risk investment opportunities in stocks, cryptocurrencies, real estate, etc. Despite promises of quick profits from a small upfront buy-in, the fraudsters inevitably abscond with victims' funds. Scammers promise high returns on investments, often involving cryptocurrency or other financial schemes. They may use professional-looking websites and testimonials to appear credible.

Protection: Be wary of investment opportunities that seem too good to be true. Consult financial advisors and research thoroughly before making any investments.

6. Job scams

These scams exploit people looking for employment. With work-from-home roles in high demand, fake job listings have become a lucrative scam. They often begin by enticing applicants with appealing offers, only to eventually request sensitive personal data like Social Security and bank account numbers under the pretext of onboarding - information that may then be sold on shady networks for nefarious purposes. Fraudulent job offers require upfront fees for training or supplies, or ask for personal information under the guise of a job application.

Protection: Research the company and job offer and avoid paying fees for job applications. Legitimate employers do not ask for money upfront.

7. Lottery and prize scams

You might receive a private message out of the blue on Facebook or other social media apps. Messages that claim you’ve won a lottery or prize and ask for personal information or payment to claim it. Scammers use the excitement of winning to trick users.

Protection: Legitimate lotteries do not require payment to claim prizes. Be skeptical of unsolicited prize notifications and verify with official sources, especially if you haven't participated in a lottery lately.

8. Impersonation scams

Scammers can create fake profiles that mimic friends or family and ask for money or personal information. These profiles can be very convincing and use personal details to gain trust.

Protection: Usually, if someone close to you needs help, they won’t send a message on Facebook, but call you instead. Verify the identity of the person by contacting them through other means before responding to requests. Report impersonation attempts to Facebook.

9. Clickbait scams

Posts with sensational headlines lead to malicious websites when clicked. These links can install malware or steal personal information.

Protection: Avoid clicking on sensational or suspicious links. Report clickbait posts to Facebook and educate yourself on recognizing legitimate content.

10. Shopping scams

Fake online stores or ads sell non-existent or substandard products at low prices. Victims often receive poor quality goods or nothing at all after making a purchase. In most cases, you first see a fake ad tempting you with low-cost items. But if you click on the ad, you'll either be taken to a fake store that steals your payment details, or pay for a counterfeit or low-quality item.

Protection: Research online stores, check reviews, and use secure payment methods. Be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. Always shop from trusted places.

11. Survey and quiz scams

These scams promise rewards for completing surveys but are designed to collect personal information or install malware. They often target users through ads and pop-ups. For example, the quiz or survey may ask you to share your name, date of birth, mother's maiden name, pet's name, email address, or phone number. With your guard down, you may unknowingly disclose sensitive information that compromises your online security.

Protection: Avoid completing surveys from untrusted sources and do not share personal information. Use ad-blockers and security software to protect your device.

12. Hacked or cloned friend accounts asking for 2FA codes

In this scam, a hacker takes over one of your friend's accounts, and then the "friend" writes to you saying they need the codes sent to your phone or email. In reality, scammers are trying to hack your account — and the code you share is for your account.

Protection: Verify the identity of your friend by contacting them through other means before responding to such messages. Report impersonation attempts to Facebook.

13. "Is this you?" video or photo link scams

In this classic Facebook scam, you receive a photo or video from someone on your list with an accompanying message asking, "Is this you?" or something similar and a link. If you click on it, you're taken to a fake website that asks for login details or infects your device with malware.

Protection: No matter how tempting this might be, don’t click on that link!

By staying vigilant and cautious, you can protect yourself from these common Facebook scams. Always verify the legitimacy of requests for personal information or money and report any suspicious activity to Facebook. With these precautions, you can enjoy the benefits of social media without falling victim to scammers.

We encourage everyone to share any scams they have encountered or heard about on Facebook. Your contributions can help others avoid falling victim to these schemes.

Thank you!

TaxiMagicien42

Hello @Alexandru_BD

This article is very interesting

Thank you Alex.

Regards