In recent months, there has been a significant increase in phishing scams targeting Meta accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Ads. These scams often involve direct messages to brand pages or emails claiming your account has violated policies and is at risk of being shut down. The scammers aim to create panic and fear, hoping you’ll click on a malicious link without further investigation. Here’s how you can stay safe and protect your Meta accounts:
Steps to Avoid Phishing Scams
Don’t Panic: Scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency. Stay calm and assess the situation.
Don’t Click on Any Links: Never click on links in suspicious messages or emails. These could lead to compromised accounts or devices.
Recognise Legitimate Meta Communications: Meta will never send direct messages regarding account issues. If you receive such a message, block the sender, ban them from sending more messages, and delete the message.
Verify Email Addresses: Always inspect the email address of any message claiming to be from Meta. Only the following addresses are verified:
- notification@facebookmail.com
- noreply@facebookmail.com
- @business.fb.com
- @support.facebook.com
- @fb.com
- @meta.com
- @email.metamail.com
- @go.metamail.com
- advertise-noreply@facebookmail.com
- update@em.facebookmail.com
- @mediapartnerships.fb.com
Check for Spoofed Addresses: Scammers may use lookalike email addresses, sometimes substituting Cyrillic characters for Latin ones. If you’re unsure about an email, verify your account status directly through Facebook’s Business Manager:
- Log into Facebook and click your profile photo in the top right.
- Click See all profiles and select the Page you want to switch into.
- Click your Page profile picture in the top right.
- Click Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- In the left menu, click Page setup, then click View next to Page Status.
Contact Support Through Official Channels: If you see a violation but are still uncertain about the email, do not click on any links. Instead, message a member of the Hatch Team to contact Meta support directly to resolve the issue.
By following these steps, you can protect your Meta accounts from phishing scams. Stay vigilant, and always verify the authenticity of any communication before taking action.
Resource of verified email addressed: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/372703956148310