Take It from a Social Media Intern: How to Avoid Facebook Scams

It’s become even more difficult to safely navigate social media these days, with more frequent and increasingly deceptive scams showing up on each platform, and one in four people falling prey to fraudulent accounts.

Whether you use a social media platform to connect with loved ones or as a place to shop, these scams can sneak up on anyone. Protecting yourself is essential for both your personal information and financial well-being.

Because Facebook is the largest platform in the world with more than 3 billion monthly active users, it is a great place to start to learn how to avoid common scams or identity theft schemes.

Friend Requests

It may be tempting to accept a friend request from someone who has mutual friends on Facebook, but scammers could be trying to access your personal information from your page once accepted. Only accept friend requests from people you know in real life and before accepting anyone – even people you may know – look for red flags, and ask yourself questions such as:

• Am I already connected with an account for this person?
• Are there limited posts or photos?
• Do they have a profile picture?

If they don’t meet these parameters, or the information appears fake or unfamiliar, you should consider declining the request.

You can also report the account to Facebook and choose that they are impersonating someone you know. You will be prompted to choose who from your list of Facebook friends they are impersonating and the Support team will reach out to get the security issue cleared up.

Phishing Messages

Scammers often make fake accounts, to look like either your friends or Facebook itself, asking you to share your personal information or “click this link.” These phishing attempts, often disguised as fun quizzes or questionnaires, are attempts to steal your login, personal or financial information. Never click on links that were sent to you by someone you don’t know or a friend’s account you haven’t verified. If you do receive a link from a friend, it is smart to reach out to them via a different method to confirm they actually sent it to you.

If you fall victim to a phishing scam and connections are sharing that they have received a friend request from a duplicate account of your own, the best thing you can do is change your password immediately.

Public Comments

If you comment publicly on a page or even post a review of a business page, you might notice from time to time someone commenting back to ask you to send them a friend request. These are an easy red flag of who to avoid. Best practice is to also report it as spam. For some reason, these accounts often portray themselves as retired military and prey on older women. It’s great advice to teach loved ones on the platform that might not be as familiar with these scam attempts to avoid engaging with these types of accounts out of precaution.

Avoid Contests and Giveaways

In your feed there may be ads to “win a free vacation” or other forms of giveaways but often these are fake contests that scammers post to get you to provide them with personal information. You should always check the source of the contest before entering and never give away credit card information or personal details.

Key things to note are the spelling of the business page. Often times scams will include a duplicate letter in the middle of a brand name that’s easy to overlook, like Tarrget or Southhwest Airlines. Look at the handle for the page in the web address as well as the page’s business name to detect any inconsistencies.

If skeptical, examine when the business page was created on its About section and does it have a functioning website or contact information included anywhere.

Finally, if something seems too good to be true, try doing a reverse image search on what’s being offered or sold. An example we found was a page promoting a new rescue puppy for sale with a deposit, but a quick Google image search showed that was a stock photo for a news outlet and not a truthful animal rescue.  

To perform a reverse image search on a computer, go to Google.com and click Search by image. Then you can upload the image file that’s been posted or drag and drop it into the search window. From a phone, you can do this on the Google app by tapping the Google Lens in the search bar and uploading the image there. You will then get a return of results if the image has been used other places on the web.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great way to buy and sell items at a reduced price, but it can be tricky as well. You may see a deal that is just too good to pass up and be asked for payment before receiving the item. Or you have a potential buyer who eagerly promises to purchase the item and wants your banking information to “send” their payment; in cases like these, you need to decline or ignore the requests.

Also, if you are buying or selling through Facebook Marketplace, always meet in a public place – and never send money before you are receiving the discussed product.

How ARAG Can Help

If you’ve got a legal matter you would like addressed, log in to your online member account to start a case. You can also contact a Customer Care Specialist who can walk you through your coverage options and offer next steps for help with navigating protecting your identity – along with a wide variety of other legal matters.