How to Recognize Copyright, Infringement and Identity Scams
An unfortunate part of being the admin for a Facebook Page or Instagram Business account is the inevitable scams you'll receive by fraudsters pretending to be Facebook, Instagram or Meta. We receive these regularly as a business. We're adding this article to help our customers better recognize these scams.
We recognize, like any fraud, the space evolves quickly. As such this article will never be a comprehensive resource to keep yourself safe.
We've seen these sent through email, text messages, Facebook/Instagram DMs, Messenger. Basically anywhere you can be reached the fraudsters may contact you.
Visit Facebook's resource: I got a suspicious email or message claiming it's from Facebook
Check if an email is really from Facebook email. Often we see these scams sent from @gmail addresses
Read through Instragram's resource on Avoiding Scams on Instagram
We've included some examples of the scams we've received in recent weeks as a business to help to provide some reference. Again these change regularly. If you're suspicious about a message you've received - please use the resources above from Meta to keep yourself safe.
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "decision will be final", tight time limit (24 hrs)
-- vague team name "Group Terms"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "accounts will be removed"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "restricted immediately"
-- vague name "Support Group"
-- Norfli (?)
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "permanently deleted"
-- vague name "Facebook Support Team"
-- use of "Noreply" in signature
Remember these are just some examples to help educate our customers. If you think something is suspicious, even if it doesn't look exactly like these, please consult the resources provided by Meta.
We recognize, like any fraud, the space evolves quickly. As such this article will never be a comprehensive resource to keep yourself safe.
Where might I receive these scams?
We've seen these sent through email, text messages, Facebook/Instagram DMs, Messenger. Basically anywhere you can be reached the fraudsters may contact you.
What to do if you receive a message that looks suspicious?
Visit Facebook's resource: I got a suspicious email or message claiming it's from Facebook
Check if an email is really from Facebook email. Often we see these scams sent from @gmail addresses
Read through Instragram's resource on Avoiding Scams on Instagram
What do these scams look like?
We've included some examples of the scams we've received in recent weeks as a business to help to provide some reference. Again these change regularly. If you're suspicious about a message you've received - please use the resources above from Meta to keep yourself safe.
"Fake name / Identity fraud"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "decision will be final", tight time limit (24 hrs)
-- vague team name "Group Terms"
"Required verification process"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "accounts will be removed"
"Policy violation"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "restricted immediately"
-- vague name "Support Group"
-- Norfli (?)
"Trademark violations / IP protections"
How did we know it was fraud?
-- Link is not a valid Meta/Facebook/Instagram URL
-- Uses scare tactics "permanently deleted"
-- vague name "Facebook Support Team"
-- use of "Noreply" in signature
Remember these are just some examples to help educate our customers. If you think something is suspicious, even if it doesn't look exactly like these, please consult the resources provided by Meta.
Updated on: 15/01/2025
Thank you!