Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular American messaging app and platforms developed by Facebook, Inc. Originally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008. Most people are using Facebook Messenger to send text messages, photos, videos, audio or video calls, and voice messages. Users can also create chat groups to share something with multiple users at a time. But unlikely there are several Facebook Messenger Scams of the current years. You must be aware of what Facebook Messenger scams look like.
Read: How to Enable & Disable Secret Conversation in Messenger
Top Messenger Scams and How to Avoid Facebook Messenger Scams
Do you some of the most common Facebook Messenger Scams and how to avoid them. Since scammers are unable to have got as much success with email phishing scams. They are moving toward Facebook Messenger to try & separate Facebook users from their money. Here are the most common and topmost Facebook Messenger scams threatening Facebook users. I will show you how to avoid these Facebook Messenger scams.
Read: How to Set up & Use Facebook Messenger Kids App messengerkids.com
Account Violation Scams
If you are using Facebook and does something that goes against FB community standard, you will receive a message stating you account has been found in violation term and policy.
- The scam artist will capitalize on this is to make a fake Facebook account
- Their account will seem like an official Facebook profile
- Scammers send a message to the users telling that account has been found in violation of their term of service
Read: Fake Accounts 3.2 Billion Removes Facebook
How you know the message is fake:
- You have not received the message at the email address registered or associated with Facebook
- The wording of the message functions poor grammar and broken English
- The message of account violation from Facebook comes in the FB Support Center, not in the Facebook Messenger
- The profile the text message comes from looks unusual and features very few details
How to protect yourself from Scam
One of the most important things to keep remembers when you view a message as this looks like to ignore it and never provide your Facebook password to the scammer as requested.
Lottery Scams
Let’s show another general scam on Facebook Messenger is the lottery scams. This scam frequently comes from a cloned Facebook account that shows to be someone you know. However, maybe it comes from a stranger person claiming to be the operator of the lottery program.
Scam Artist Messages
The scammer will tell you something like the following
- You are the winner of a lottery
- Telling you they will send you the money
- But first, you will need to send a fee to cover following management expenses, included in processing your winnings
- To process to send the fee the scammer will frequently ask you for bank account detail or credit card details.
- At the end of the result will be the scammer person emptying the funds in your account and you will never view a dime
How to protect yourself from lottery scam
To protect yourself never transmit bank account or credit card details on Facebook Messenger no matter how the message appears authentic to be.
Read: How to Remove Contacts from Facebook and Messenger
Romance Scams
Several People use the Facebook account as a place to meet new, potential romantic partners. Scammers aware of this, so they make a fake Facebook profile featuring someone very attractive, the find out to users of Facebook with a single in the hopes of striking up a fake romantic relationship scam.
After the deep in the relationship virtually through Facebook messenger, the scammer will begin to ask for money. The reasons for money include anything from moving expenses to come to meet or see you, divorce costs, or they will pretend to be in a crisis and need your support or help.
How you know the message is fake:
- These types of profiles have no significant identifying information and very few posts.
- The message has poor grammar or broken English
- The conversations begin with based on a relation, but it the end turns to a request for support and money before long.
- The scam artist person will always come up with excuses why they can never meet in person
How to Protect Yourself from Scam:
If you have never met your romantic partner in person, never send then something of any financial value or information
Read: Mute Unmute Conversations on Facebook & Messenger Web App
Inheritance Scams
Another scam to play out this scam with you to track your bank account details to steal your money
Scams Artist Messages
- The scammer will make fake accounts to appear as though they are the head of a legal organization or a lawyer.
- The scammer or the scam artist will ask you a deceased person you know has left you an inheritance of some size
- The catch is you will be required to provide them either your bank account details or even your social security number
- But this is nothing more than a various approach to the aforementioned plans
- The scammer will just need to access to your information that will allow them to steal your money
How to protect yourself from Scammer
While it may be attractive to provide your details so you can get your inheritance, this condition is always too good to be true. Inheritance lawyers or heads of legal persons will never reach out on Facebook, and inheritance messages always arrive as certified letters on the U.S Post Office.
Read: How to Hide & Unhide Messages on Facebook and Messenger
Donation Scams
Let’s show how you will see the donations scams come to you in the following:
- This scam will not come from the cloning account of your friends
- But the scammer will clone accounts to similar as they come from well-known celebrities or religious leaders.
- Still, in some cases, the cloned account displaying to come from the person or people who run well-known charities.
How they will Scam you
The donation scam is simple like the following:
- The scammer artist will send you a message on messenger telling if you are willing to donate to their charity foundations
- Several people who care about the reason of the fake charity will actually transmit their credit card or bank account detail to the scam artist
- In place of donating money, people at the end up having their bank account or credit card drained of entire funds.
How to Protect Yourself
To protect yourself from the scammer do not send your bank account or financial account details on Facebook to anyone.
If you want to donate to a charity foundation, directly contact the charity by phone and make your donation.
Read: How to Delete Someone from Messenger?
Compromising Video Scam
One of the most recent scams of Facebook Messenger appear on Facebook is the compromising video scam.
Scammers Fake Messages
- In the scam artist will either hack into or clone one of your friend’s Facebook account
- They will send you a message saying they have spotted you in a compromising YouTube video
- For example, the message will same something like this:
“Hi! What are you doing in this video lol! Search your name and skip to 1:45 on the video. Type in a web browser with no spaces:[web address removed”
- Frequently the link will tell you to sign in to your Facebook account to view the video
- When you do this then you give access to scammers to your FB account
- Which they will then use to scam your friends into giving up their FB password as well
How to protect yourself:
Keep in mind never enter to share your Facebook login information into any unknown website other than Facebook.
Read: How to Add Someone to Facebook Messenger
Loan Scams
Loan scams always conduct on Facebook Messenger to convince you to pay a modest advance payment.
Loans Scams Messages
- The scammer artists will usually begin by cloning the Facebook account of one of your friends.
- They will then either send you a direct message or post on a Group page
- They will tell that a page has discovered a page where you can get an immediate loan with a very low-interest rate
- To complete the process visit the link to the web page
- When you visit the page, it will attract to convince you to pay a modest advanced fee in order to qualify for the loan
How to protect yourself:
Never trust anyone if similar information comes from a friend who does not provide your credit card or bank account details on any unknown website or webpage. Always apply through the bank for low-interest loans you already know.
Read: Block Unblock Someone on Facebook Messenger
Free Money Scams
Even more charming than the low and cheap loan scams are free money scams to get access to your bank account and drained of all funds.
Free Money Scams Fake Messages
- A message from scammer send to you that claiming there is a company giveaway or a government grant you qualify for.
- The scam artist or scammer will frequently direct you to a fake website encouraging you to share your bank account or credit card detail or financial information.
- They are just similar to other scams and the only thing that will happen if you share your financial details
- Then your bank account will be drained or clear from of all funds
How to protect yourself:
- Do not share your financial or credit card or bank account details with an unknown website.
- Beware of anyone requesting or offering money
- If you are looking to apply for the government grant then you can do so on the govt website page directly.
- Don’t open attachments
- Double-check the link.
- You will know the website of its office if the URL ends in. gov.
Read: How to Log Out of Facebook Messenger from All Devices
Access Token Theft:
There is another scam of access toke theft to access your Facebook account.
Scam Messages
- You will receive a message on Facebook Messenger with a link to that requests to access your Facebook page or account.
- The link may look like received from a legitimate app
- But instead, it is a way that scammer can get access to your account and spread spam
How to Protect Yourself
Never visit an attaché link that you receive from the unknown a legitimate app to access your Facebook account or page
Job Scams:
This another common scam from the scammer to get your personal information.
Scam Messages
- Scams artist make job scammers by postings fake job or use misleading to try and take your personal information or your money
- These job postings are very attractive and good to be true
- They will ask you to pay anything upfront
- When you visit the attaché link from a job posting, to watch out for websites that as like unrelated to the original job posting
- That asks you for sensitive information details, for example, Government Id
How to protect yourself?
Do not visit any job post link from the unknown person and never you security information like Govt ID, Account detail, and personal information.
Read: Quote Reply Facebook Messenger to Specific Messages
If You’ve Already Been Scammed and Avoid them in Future
If you have been already been a victim of any of the above scams, then instantly take the following actions to protect your account:
- Open your Facebook
- Login to your Facebook Account
- Change your Facebook password
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Facebook account
- Inform your credit card company or bank know if you sure that your account is compromised or hacked
- Report the scammer’s account to Facebook
- Then block the scammer’s FB account so they cannot view your friend’s list
- Turn on auto-updates on your Computer and mobile phone
- Use a security tool or install antivirus software on your computer or mobile device to keep it up to date.
FAQ-Frequently Ask Question
Here are frequently asked questions by different people related to Facebook Messenger Scams and how to avoid them.
Facebook messenger Fake messages
Maybe someone has sent you a message on Facebook Messenger to a load of my friends like me, about getting a free iPhone device. Then change your password and delete the messages. You will need to report a Messenger account that’s pretending to be you by visit the instruction in the Help Center.
Facebook scams in 2020
Facebook scams in 2020 are Free Money Scams, Loan Scams, Compromising Video Scams, Donation Scams, Inheritance Scams, Romance Scams, Lottery Scams, Account Violation Scams, Access Token Theft, & Job Scams. If you’ve Already Been Scammed and avoid them in the future.
Read: How to View Blocked List & Unblock Friends on Facebook
Facebook login scams
Maybe you know the Facebookmail.com is a common domain from which you receive notifications from Facebook. When Facebook detects an attempt to log in or sign in to your FB account or change a password.
Scams Messages
- If you are not sure that an email message you received wan from Facebook
- You will need to check its legitimacy by going to the link facebook.com/settings
- To see a list of security-related emails that have been recently sent
How to Protect Yourself:
- If you have checked this tool and determined that an email you received from a fake.
- You will need to report it to phish@facebook.com
- If you are sure that your account has been hacked or compromised due to a phishing attempt
- Then you will need to attempt to regain access to your at facebook.com/hacked.
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