Recently, more and more cases of fake messages in the name of Meta online support have been recorded. These fake messages impresonate Meta Support and write messages and emails to users of the popular social network that their account will be canceled due to inappropriate content or they ask for various confirmations. They often ask for sensitive data such as account passwords or credit card details. In today’s article, you will learn how to recognize that it is fake and whether it is possible to protect yourself from similar attacks.
Fake news on social media
Fake news have several identifying marks, on the basis of which it can be determined whether it is fake. These are the signs that message is probably fake:
- The message is grammatically and stylistically incorrect – if you read the message, you may have noticed that the senteces are not punctuated correctly. They are also written illogically and non – chronologically.
- Unofficial language – Messages from Meta Support tend to be at a high level of communication. In the case of fake messages, you can find informal addresses in the text such as dear or hello admin.
- Call to action – The fake messages automatically calls for an action that you need to take, in order to not lose your account. Most often, they send a link that redirects you to a page that asks for personal data. You should pay attention here and under no circumstances do not provide personal data.
- Fake site link – This point is related to the previous one. If you come across a link to another website in a message from Meta support, it is probably a scam. You will be redirected to a page that will ask for personal data in order to misuse you identity or steal funds.
What to do if you received a fraudulent message from Meta Support?
- Do not click on any links in the message.
- Do not open attachments to messages – in some cases, messages refer to an attachment that the recipient should have opened. These files may contain viruses, so ignore them.
- Do not give them any rights or provide personal information.
- Contact Meta
- If you clicked on a link or provided personal information in a fraudulent message, try to change your password, block your credit card and contact Meta customer support immediately.
Fake emails that write on behalf of Meta Support
Fake emails have become another popular scam. In the case of fraudulent e-mails, the identification of fraudsters is a bit more obvious. The wrong email address reveals them. At the same time, Meta Support communicates in English in most cases and there are is only a small number of cases in which they communicated in Slovak.
Real Meta Support email address
The only correct email address that can be relied on in the case of Meta Support is one that ends in: support.facebook.sk. If you receive mail from another email that llooks like Meta Support, it is fake.
Example of correct e-mail address:
How to check the status of your FB page?
If you are not sure whether it is a fraud, as a rule, do not check the correctness of the information via the link found in the email. You can check the status of your page, which could be blocked at: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=profile_quality.
If it is an advertising account, you can find the necessary information in the Meta business suite.
Can fraud attacks be prevented?
Even if the actions of fraudsters are not very predictable, you can eliminate the risk by following certain procedures.
- Stay informed about current scams – Meta or the media regularly alerts and issues scam warnings. It is very good to monitor the situation and know what to expect so that you do not get scammed.
- Be sensitive about sharing personal data – Before you give someone your card number or your social security number, think carefully about whether it is a serious site.
- Use strong passwords – Having one password for all social networks and e-shops is convenient, but it increases the risk that someone will get into your profile. We recommend generating strong and complex passwords.
- Activate two-step verification – Multi-step verification should be a matter of course for every account. By using another type of verification, you reduce the chance of someone getting into your account. The way it works is that, besides you password, you have to add another security code that will be sent to your number or email.
Cyber attacks have a future
Despite the fact that users have more and more options to protect themselves, attack are successful. Technologies are advanced, and therefore we can expect attempts to misuse personal data in the upcoming years as well. To conclude, we recommend you to be very attentive, to read the messages several times. Based on our presented „guide“ you can easily assess whether it is a serious message or a scam.
Are you interested in having a profesional social media management? We have a team of specialists who take care of social networks, besides creating posts, they also focus on securing the account and they solve problems.
Founder of UPVISION Digital agency
