26d (edited) • 💬 General discussion
Facebook Scams
I want to go over some of the most common scams on Facebook today, and more importantly, why they work.
Facebook scams have evolved far beyond the simple profile cloning that was so prevalent. Today’s attackers operate with layers of social engineering, psychology, and high-pressure manipulation that mirrors real-world predatory tactics. It's not random spam anymore. It’s calculated, targeted, and designed around human emotion.
One of the most common is the fake “Your Account Will Be Disabled” warning. The digital version of a fake police officer knocking at your front door.
These messages arrive as posts, comments, or private messages and usually contain language like: “Your page is under review for copyright violations,” “We detected unusual activity,” or “You must verify ownership within 24 hours.” They’re dressed up with Meta branding, blue checkmarks, and professional formatting designed to look official.
What they’re really targeting isn’t your account, it’s your fear of losing control. Your memories, business pages, contacts, identity, and social proof all live on that platform. When people feel that access is being threatened, logic shuts down. Instinct takes over.
You click the link. It takes you to a pixel-perfect Facebook login page. You enter your details. In that moment, your information is captured and used instantly. The attacker logs in, often within seconds, changes the email address, phone number, and password, and locks you out. In more advanced versions, they even add a fake two-factor authentication step, asking you to enter the SMS code, which of course is sent to them. You don’t just lose access. You hand them the keys and the alarm code at the same time.
Another highly effective method is what I call the “Friend in Crisis” scam. Essentially a digital kidnapping of someone you trust. The scammer gains access to a real account through a weak password, a leaked database, or a lack of two-factor authentication. Once inside, they don’t change the profile. They become that person.
You receive a normal, friendly message. The tone feels familiar. Then the warm-up begins: “Hey, how are you?” After that comes the hook. A sudden crisis, a financial emergency, embarrassment, or a desperate request. They keep the language basic to avoid detection and rely heavily on emotional triggers like urgency, guilt and secrecy. Often they’ll say, “Please don’t tell anyone else. I’m so ashamed.” That line alone has emptied countless bank accounts.
Facebook Marketplace has also become a gold mine for scammers. One of the most common is the overpayment scam, targeting honest sellers. A buyer sends “too much money,” apologises, and begs you to refund the difference. Wanting to do the right thing, you send money back. Later, the original transaction is reversed, leaving you without the item and without the refund you sent.
Another version involves fake courier or payment links. You’re sent to something called “Facebook Secure Shipping” or “Meta Courier Protect.” These sites look completely legitimate, Facebook branding, tracking numbers, courier logos, and then a simple button asking for your PayPal or bank login details. Once entered, your account is emptied.
Some scammers skip that and simply send a fake payment receipt complete with timestamps, bank logos, matching last-four digits and a bright green “Payment Successful” stamp. But no money has moved at all.
The most psychologically effective version, though, is when the scammer uses a hacked real account to list items for sale. The reason it works is simple: you trust the person, not the product. You see their family photos, workplace, friends in common. That unconscious trust lowers your defences instantly. They collect deposits across multiple people and then disappear.
Romance and long-game grooming scams are even more predatory. These usually start because you liked a page, commented in a group, or posted publicly. A stranger sends a friend request and begins a process of mirroring. Reflecting your humour, interests, beliefs and values. Within days it feels like you’ve known them for years.
Then comes the emotional investment: regular messages, compliments, shared life stories, manufactured vulnerability. A bond is formed. Once that bond is strong, the “problem” appears. Illness, blocked accounts, military deployment, business trouble or an “incredible investment opportunity” involving crypto. And once someone gives once, it rarely ends. There is always one more hurdle, one more emergency, one more promise that it will be the last time.
This isn’t just financial loss. It often destroys trust, confidence and emotional stability.
For business owners, ad account hijacking can be devastating. These accounts already contain stored payment methods, high spending limits and very little real-time oversight. Once a scammer gets into your main profile, they add themselves as an admin, remove you, and begin running high-spend ads, sometimes burning through thousands per hour to promote scams or counterfeit products. Most victims don’t find out until their bank contacts them.
Then there are the quick, silent attacks in comment sections: “You appear in this video!” It plays directly on anxiety, curiosity and fear of embarrassment. You click to see what it is. It asks you to log in. And that’s all it takes.
Even prize and giveaway scams still work extremely well, just with better branding. Fake loyalty programs. Fake Meta reward schemes. Fake competitions using stolen logos from real companies. All powered by the same triggers. Excitement, surprise, scarcity and urgency.
Finally, there is session hijacking which isn’t even a traditional scam, just an exploitation of basic human habits. This happens at work computers, libraries, internet cafés, shared home devices, hotel business centres, etc. If you don’t log out of a shared computer, attackers don’t need your password. Browser cookies and saved sessions give them full access. From there, they can change your password, lock you out, message your friends, run ads on your card or destroy your online presence in minutes.
Facebook scams are not about technology. They are about people.
Every single one of these tactics works because humans are predictable under emotional pressure. Fear. Urgency. Curiosity. Empathy. Embarrassment. Greed. Routine.
This is the same psychology used by real-world offenders. The platform may be digital, but the manipulation is ancient.
The single most powerful defence is to interrupt the emotion before you respond to the message. Most of these scams rely on speed. Urgency is the weapon.
When you see a warning, a crisis request, or a “too good to be true” offer, do nothing for 60 seconds. That short pause is usually enough for your logical brain to re-engage. Scammers lose power the moment you slow the interaction down.
Next, change the channel. Never respond to a request through the same route it came in. If a “friend” messages you on Messenger asking for help, call them on the phone. If you receive an official-looking warning, log in to Facebook through your own app, never through a link. Real platforms do not ask for passwords via messages.
Harden the doors you already have. Turn on two-factor authentication. Use a strong, unique password that you don't use anywhere else. Remove your phone number from public view. Set your account to private. Review which apps and websites are connected to your Facebook and remove anything you don't recognise.
On Marketplace, block impulse. No deposits without physical pickup. No third-party courier links. No payments outside Facebook’s official checkout. And never refund an “overpayment” until the funds have fully cleared and your bank confirms they cannot be reversed.
For business owners, the rules get stricter. Use a separate admin account for ad management. Set daily spend limits. Turn on spend alerts at the bank level. Check page roles weekly. If you don’t recognise a name, remove it immediately.
And finally, install a social rule. No one gets money, codes, or personal details through emotional pressure. Ever. Real friends will understand a verification step. Scammers will fight it and hate it.
1
0 comments
Facebook Scams
powered by
skool.com/family-safety-and-protection-8160
Safety and Self Protection training for the whole family.
Suggested communities
Powered by