Online scams are, unfortunately, becoming increasingly common, with users scammed out of money and tricked into giving away personal details that are then used to impersonate them.
There are a number of different scams that users can fall foul of on Facebook – some of which are engineered by AI bots while others are carried out by scam users and hackers.
This article is designed to help those who fear that they have fallen foul of a scam on Facebook, sharing some of the most common symptoms and signs of a scam, as well as the next steps to take.
Signs That You’ve Been Scammed
With so many different styles of scam out there, the signs that you’ve been scammed wary hugely.
However, some of the most common include:
- Sending money and therefore losing out financially to a scam
- Finding yourself locked out of your account
- Being contacted by friends who have noticed a fake profile pretending to be you
The rise of features like Facebook Dating and Facebook Marketplace create more opportunities for potential scams too. On Facebook Marketplace, you might be asked by a seller to transfer money before seeing or picking up a product, only to find that the product doesn’t exist. On Facebook Dating, a scammer could ask for money before disappearing and ghosting you.
What all of this tells us is that the signs of a scam vary depending on the type of scam you have fallen victim to.
Here’s what to do if you’re worried about a scam…
Steps to Take if You’ve Been Scammed
If you realise that you’ve been scammed by an AI bot or Facebook user, it’s important to perform a few steps.
- Cease all contact with the scammer or scam account, be it in Messenger, on Facebook Marketplace, or in your comments
- Report the scam to Facebook with as much detail as possible about communication
- Change your password and add two-step verification to your account (if you don’t already have this feature activated)
- Check whether you have any mutual friends with the scam account and warn others who may be affected
Tips to Avoid Being Scammed on Facebook
As well as following the above steps for those who have suffered or fallen foul of a scam, there are steps that you can take to avoid falling victim to Facebook and online scams in the future.
Perhaps the most important is to activate the security checks and really safeguard your account from being hacked.
It is also important to use the privacy settings to avoid people who don’t know you from being able to access your personal details and things like your photos and locations.
You should also report any suspicious activity or listings you see on Marketplace and be sure to double check with friends who you receive strange messages from via another platform.
Facebook is geared towards protecting its users and has countless systems and steps in place to ensure that users are not scammed out of money or have their identity used to scam others. However, there is always a risk when communicating online, which is why being vigilant is crucial.
We hope this helps you to stay safe and protect yourself!
