Facebook scams are nothing new, but the most recent one targets business page admins and leaves them worried about the status of their Facebook page. It has circulated Facebook quickly, and many clients have received it in their inboxes once or multiple times already.
It’s important to note that if your clients receive a message like this in their inbox and they do not interact with it, their Facebook page is not in danger, and any damage intended to be done by the scammers can be avoided.
How does this scam work?
Sent directly to a Facebook page’s inbox, the scam message appears to be from Facebook or the Meta Security Team and states, “Your Page Has Been Disabled.” It goes on to accuse the page of using someone’s fake name or photo and sharing misleading content. The scammers include a link to have the user confirm their account and stress the confirmation must be completed within 24 hours to prevent the page from being permanently disabled.
The scammers have successfully crafted an alarming message that creates panic and appears authentic to the untrained eye. It’s essential that you and your clients know the signs of what to look for when it comes to this scam and others that may come down the road.
What are common signs it is a scam?
- Communication is not from Facebook – At first glance, the message your client received may appear to be from Facebook or Meta, but have them take a closer look. With this scam, the message is signed by the “Meta Security Team,” making it appear real, but with deeper investigation, the sender is a “Facebook user” and not Meta.
- Grammatical errors or typos – Any message or email communication sent by Facebook will not include typos and will make sense when you read it. Have your client inspect all parts of the message. If they notice spelling or grammatical errors, it should be an immediate red flag that the message received came from a scammer and not Facebook.
Pro Tip: Have your client look closely at the sender’s name and links in the message. Scammers often use names and links that change letters around or have a few additional ones. When quickly looked at, these minor differences may not be noticed. - Urgency to act – In true scammer fashion, scam messages include a sense of urgency for your client to act. Facebook will not push your client to make a decision or act quickly. Presenting an alarming message and a need to fix the problem immediately is the scammer’s way to create panic in your clients and encourage them to click on or decide something quickly without thinking things through thoroughly.
What steps should be taken?
If your client receives a message like this in their inbox and reaches out to you concerned, take these steps to address the situation:
- Reassure them that their page is not disabled and that the message is a scam that has been circulating Facebook.
- Stress the importance of proceeding with caution and not clicking on any links sent through these messages. Any personal information shared with the scammers will be lost and the potential of your client’s Facebook page being hacked is high. Gaining access back to a hacked Facebook page is nearly impossible and not something we want your clients to experience.
- Have them check out the signs above to confirm if the message is fake.
- Encourage them to report the message as spam.
- If you or your client are still worried about the message, send our team a screenshot of the message and we can investigate it for you.
While this is not the first scam of this nature, and unfortunately not the last, we hope this makes you aware of the current one that your clients may be affected by. If you have more questions about this social media scam or others that your clients have experienced, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for help!
