Beware of the new Scam on Facebook Messenger!
Facebook Messenger scams are on the rise! It still amazes me that so many people are out there trying to scam people and businesses. The rate of scams on social media has been increasing exponentially so it is vitally important that you avoid getting your Facebook Business Page caught up in one of these schemes.
I have been noticing a new Scam on Facebook where Scammers are sending messages to a Facebook Business Page that incorrectly indicates there is a problem with your Page.
For example:
- It says the Page has been shut down/disabled or
- It says the Page has violated some rule and will be shut down or
- It says an article has been reported to Facebook and that will result in a Page being shut down
- It says they purchased an item from you and it was very poor quality, etc.
If you see one of these type scam messages appear in your Facebook Business Page messages, here is what you should do:
- DO NOT click on any links!
- Malicious links may include
- A link to “see” the product they are talking about
- A link to confirm your Facebook Account
- A link to “see” the product they would like to purchase, etc.
- These links are likely to either download a virus to your computer or set in motion some other malicious outcome
- Malicious links may include
Report & Block the Scammer
To preclude these scammers from continuing to send you messages AND to alert Facebook about this person, you can report & block this person. Note that this can only be done from a cellphone – you will not see these options if you’ve opened Facebook Messenger on your laptop or desktop. Instructions below:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app and click on the message (NOT the link IN the message)
- In the upper right corner, you’ll see a lowercase “I’” in a circle
- Click on the “I”
- Click on “Something’s wrong”
- Choose what you want to report (choices include Fraud/Scam, Unwanted Message, Pretending to be Something, etc.)
- Click the blue submit button that will be on the bottom of your screen which will take you to a Thank You page
- On the Thank You page from Facebook, you will also see other steps you can take:
- Mute chat (you probably don’t want to turn off your business page chat!)
- Block on Messenger (this is a good choice)
- If you choose Block on Messenger, you will see 3 choices
- Block on Messenger
- Block Messages & calls
- Ban on Messenger & Facebook (this is a good choice for a Business Page)
- View Community Standards
You can then hit the back arrows to return to your Chat Page
I hope this helps you recognize scam Facebook Messages and understand how to block these scammers from sending you additional messages. At SC Marketing, our social media experts monitor your Facebook Business Pages to alert you to scams like these and take the steps to block the scammers. If you are looking for amazing social media ad campaigns that have very low cost-per-clicks and very high engagement, reach out to me at Tami@SCmarketinginc.com.
Tami Wloch, Director Social/Digital Marketing, Strategic & Creative Marketing, Inc.
