It's crucial to recognize frauds and efforts to access your Facebook or Instagram accounts if you have a public profile. In this lesson, we'll go over some red flag behaviors, explain some of the most common scamming techniques, and provide some additional tips for staying safe on Facebook and Instagram.
Things to be aware of
Common scams
Here are a few common instances to be aware of:
Lottery scamming
Scammers will claim that you are one of the lottery winners and that you may get your money in exchange for a bit of advance charge. You may be asked to disclose personal information by the scammer.
Scams involving loans
Scammers offer rapid loans with low-interest rates in exchange for a minor advance charge via text messages and social media posts.
Scams involving romance
Scammers use romantic messages to initiate online connections with people they don't know in the hopes of receiving money for flights or visas.
Scams in the workplace
Scammers use false or deceptive job postings to obtain your personal information or money. Avoid job postings that appear too good to be accurate or require payment up ahead.
Theft of an access token
You will receive a link requesting access to your Facebook account or Page. The URL may appear from a legitimate app, but it is a technique for spammers to acquire access to your account.
Tips on how to avoid being a victim of a con
Here are a few additional pointers to keep you safe from frauds and spam.
Report suspicious emails
If you receive a message that you suspect is a scam, do not open it and report it to Facebook at phish@fb.com as soon as possible.
Suspicious links should not be clicked or opened.
Spam can be distributed by clicking on malicious links or downloading malicious software. Scammers have also gained access to people's Facebook accounts, which they then send spam.