Avoid Spam and Scams
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Managing spam on Facebook
Managing spam on Facebook
Spam involves contacting people with unwanted content or requests. This includes sending bulk messages, excessively posting links or images to people's timelines, and sending friend requests to people you don't know personally.
Spam can spread by clicking unsafe links or installing malicious software. Scammers can sometimes gain access to people's Facebook accounts, which are then used to send spam.
If you clicked on something that turned out to be spam or your account is creating unwanted posts, events, groups or Pages, try these steps:
Secure your account
If you can log into your account, we recommend changing your password
. If you can't get into your account, you can secure it
.
If someone is repeatedly posting something you think is spam, consider unfriending
, blocking
or reporting
that person.
Review account activity and remove any spam
Check your login history
for suspicious logins.
Check your Activity Log
and delete any unwanted actions.
Delete any photos
, posts
, Pages
, groups
or events
that you didn't create.
Report spam to us
If you come across any more spam on Facebook, report it to us
. By doing so, you'll be playing an important role in helping us protect other people from scams.
Learn more
It's possible that you clicked a malicious link, downloaded a bad file, or logged into a fake Facebook Page and someone got access to your account. Learn more about keeping your account secure
.
Avoiding scams on Facebook
Avoiding scams on Facebook
If you see something on Facebook that you think is a scam, please report it
to us.
Your experience on Facebook should be safe and secure. We remove content that purposefully deceives, willfully misrepresents, or otherwise defrauds or exploits people for money or property.
The following tips and tools will help you to stay safe online and help keep your accounts protected.
About scams
Scammers target people to trick them into giving away money or sensitive information. Think of emails that offer a quick-and-easy investment scheme or an urgent text message from someone claiming to be a friend in need, or a phishing email claiming to come from Meta to alert you of issues with your account and asking you to immediately click on a link to learn more.
They may create fake accounts pretending to be someone they are not or compromising existing social media accounts to try to deceive or defraud you or your friends out of money, personal information, or access to your account(s).
Note
: If you get a suspicious email or message claiming to be from Facebook, don’t click any links or attachments. You can view recent emails sent from Facebook
in your Facebook Settings.
How to protect your account
Scammers who try to trick people into sharing personal information, passwords, or credit card numbers typically do so via fraudulent emails, messages, or websites that might appear legitimate, such as a bank, email provider, or social media platform. More on common scams below
.
To start, here are three simple rules
to help you protect yourself when encounter a scam:
1.
Slow down
: Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency or threaten you with losing your account or other action. Take time to ask questions and think it through.
2.
Spot check
: Scammers often mention a problem to encourage you to act. Do your research to double check the details before clicking links or downloading files. Does what they’re telling you make sense?
3.
Don’t send
: Scammers often pretend to be from a familiar organization, they may use its employee photo they stole from the internet to convince you. No reputable organization will demand payment on the spot.
On social media, look out for the following signs when considering whether to accept a friend request or respond to a message:
People who you don’t know or famous people asking for money.
Asking you for advance fees to receive a loan, prize or other winnings.
People claiming to be a friend or relative in an emergency.
People asking you to move your conversation off Facebook.
People claiming to want a romantic connection with you quickly and then asking for money.
Messages or posts with poor spelling and grammar errors.
A message asking for your urgent response because something is wrong with your online account.
A message that simply asks you to log in with your social media, email or bank account to read an important message about the services you use online.
Accounts that have no friends, profile photo, or real-looking activity on Facebook.
Tips to keep your account secure
Don't click suspicious links:
If you get a suspicious email or text or social media message claiming to be from Facebook, don't click any links or attachments. First, check in your Facebook settings whether it came from Facebook.
Do not download files or software coming from people you don’t know:
Use caution when installing browser extensions and 3rd party apps, particularly when they offer functionality that sounds too good to be true or require you to login with your social media credentials before even using them.
Don't answer and report messages that ask for your:
Password
Social security number
Financial information like credit card numbers
Strengthen your online security:
Enable two-factor authentication
to add an extra security layer to your accounts across the internet. Two-factor authentication is one of the most effective tools for combating account compromise attempts here.
Never reuse your password across multiple websites.
Use trusted antivirus software. It is important to keep this software up to date and scan your devices for malware regularly.
Turn on login alerts
so you’ll be notified if someone is trying to access your account. Be sure to review your previous sessions to make sure you recognize which devices have access to your account.
Visit the Security Checkup Tool to help secure your account.
For businesses: enable Business notifications so you’ll be alerted of any changes happening within your Meta Business Manager Account. More here
.
If you think someone has access to your account or you’re unable to login, please visit this page
to take steps to regain access to your account.
Common scams
Investment scams:
Scammers may promise unrealistic monetary benefits like offering to convert a small amount of money into a larger sum (example: $100 = $1000) and solicit money from you. Typically, scammers disappear with the payment. Some types of false investment scams to watch out for include "cash flipping" scams, Ponzi schemes or "get rich quick" schemes.
Romance scams:
Scammers may send romantic messages to people they don’t know, often pretending to be divorced, widowed or in a bad marriage claiming they are seeking a relationship. They may claim they need money or your information to purchase a flight or apply for a visa. Because their goal is to first gain your trust, they may engage in conversations for weeks or months before they ask for money.
Job scams:
Scammers may use misleading or fake job postings to try and get your personal information or your money. Avoid job postings that sound too good to be true or that ask you to pay anything upfront before your application is considered. When clicking on a link from a job posting, watch out for websites that seem unrelated to the original job posting or that ask for sensitive information (example: government ID) but don't use secure (https) browsing. For more tips, read our guidelines when looking for jobs on Facebook
.
Lottery scams:
Scammers may use accounts or Pages impersonating someone you know or a legitimate organization (such as a government agency) to claim that you're among the only winners of a lottery which you can receive for a small advance fee. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information, such as your physical address or bank details to “verify your identity” before receiving your prize.
Loan scams:
Scammers may send messages and share posts offering instant loans at a low interest rate for a small advance fee. Once an initial payment is made they may ask for more money to provide a larger loan or simply end the conversation and disappear with the payment.
Donation scams:
Scammers may use online accounts pretending to represent charities or orphanages or religious figures. They would then ask for donations.
Inheritance scams:
The scammers may claim to be a lawyer or representative of the state reaching out to you about the estate of a deceased person. They may claim that you're entitled to the inheritance and ask you to provide personal information such as your physical address or bank details to receive such inheritance.
Commerce scams:
Scammers may claim to be selling goods and services online, often at a price that’s too good to be true, and they may try to convince you that you can get a better price if you move the conversation to other communications channels, like email or chat apps. Once you pay them, they would stop responding and the goods never arrive.They may try to create a sense of urgency to get people to act quickly to place an order and request payment through crypto currency.
Note
: Although eligible items purchased via onsite checkout on Facebook or Instagram are covered by Meta’s Purchase Protection Policies
, Meta does not offer refunds for any person-to-person or offsite transactions. Here are some shopping safety tips
for using person-to-person transactions to purchase items via Facebook Marketplace, especially if an item needs to be shipped. You can also learn more about the difference between buying something with checkout and local pickup
.
Paid subscription services:
Scammers may offer to purchase lifetime access to coveted subscription services for a one-time payment and then never deliver the product.
My friend’s account is sending spam
My friend’s account is sending spam
It's possible that your friend's account is compromised. This could be caused by:
Malicious software or a computer virus.
Compromised login information due to phishing
.
Learn more about keeping your account secure
and how to deal with spam.
How Facebook protects you from spam
How Facebook protects you from spam
We want people to feel secure while using Facebook, so preventing and removing spam is a priority. To help ensure the security of our community, we have dedicated teams across the company that focus on protecting people. We've also built tools to prevent and remove spam from Facebook.
If you want to report spam:
Learn how to report it to us
. By reporting spam, you'll help protect other people from scams.
If you're having a problem with spam:
Learn what else you can do if your account is getting spammed
.
Learn how to avoid phishing
.
If you're having a problem with your account:
Learn what to do if your account was disabled
.
Learn what to do if you're blocked from using a feature
.
Protect yourself from phishing on Facebook
Protect yourself from phishing on Facebook
You can take steps to protect yourself from phishing scams on Facebook.
Find what to do if you think you've been phished
.
About phishing
Phishing is when someone tries to get access to your Facebook account by sending you a suspicious message or link that asks for your personal information. If they get into your account, they may use your account to send spam.
Example of phishing
Joey gets an email that says he needs to log into his Facebook account to read an important message about his account. The email links to a website that isn't a Facebook website. Then he's asked to enter his username and password.
How to identify suspicous emails or messages
If you can recognize suspicous messages or emails, then you may be able to avoid phishing scams
Don't trust messages that:
Demand money
Offer gifts
Threaten to delete or ban your Facebook account
Emails about your account always come from:
fb.com
facebook.com
facebookmail.com
You can always visit www.facebook.com or open your Facebook app to check for important messages from us.
Don't click suspicious links
If you get a suspicious email or message claiming to be from Facebook, then don't click any links or attachments.
Don't respond to these emails
Don't answer messages that ask for your:
Password
Social security number
Credit card information
Get alerts
Get alerts about unrecognized logins
and turn on
two-factor authentication
to increase your account security.
What can I do about malicious software on Facebook?
What can I do about malicious software on Facebook?
Malicious software is any harmful application or file designed to gain access to your computer or online accounts, such as your Facebook account. If you're infected, malicious software can collect information from you and take unwanted actions on your behalf (example: posting spam on your timeline).
If we think you're infected with malicious software, we may notify you and ask you to scan your computer or mobile device with recommended software.
Learn the Signs of Malicious Software
Malicious software can infect your computer or mobile device (such as a laptop or smartphone) as well as your web browser (such as Chrome or Firefox). Here are some signs that you may be infected with malicious software:
On Facebook
Your account is posting spam
or sending unwanted messages.
Strange or suspicious log in locations are appearing in your account history
.
You see messages or posts in your activity log
you don't remember sending.
On your computer or mobile device
Your applications run slower or tasks take longer than usual to complete.
You notice new applications you don't remember installing.
You notice strange pop ups or other ads without opening a web browser.
On your web browser
You notice strange pop ups or other ads you don't remember seeing before.
Your search engine or home page has changed and you don't remember changing it.
If malicious software appears on your computer or mobile device, you'll want to remove it as quickly as possible to protect yourself.
Protect your Account from Malicious Software
You can remove most malicious software from your computer or mobile device by following these steps:
1.
Scan your device.
Our partners offer several tools to help you scan and clean your computer or mobile device:
ESET
.
TrendMicro
.
2.
Clean your web browser.
You can remove suspicious browser add-ons
or undo recent changes to your web browser settings. If you use Chrome, you can also download the Chrome Cleanup tool
for help with malicious software.
3.
Update your web browser.
Running the latest version of your web browser ensures you have the latest security updates. Facebook supports:
Chrome
.
Firefox
.
Safari
.
Internet Explorer
.
Microsoft Edge
.
If your account was infected by malicious software, it is often used to follow people and like Pages you'd not want to. You can review your activity log
and delete any posts you didn't mean to post and any Pages you didn't mean to like.
I got a suspicious email or message that looks like it came from Facebook
I got a suspicious email or message that looks like it came from Facebook
Facebook will never ask you for your password in an email or send you a password as an attachment.
Scammers sometimes create fake emails that look like they’re from Facebook. These emails often look like:
Notifications about friend requests, messages, events, photos and videos.
False claims that you went against our Community Standards
.
Warnings that something will happen to your account if you don't update it or take a certain action.
Claims or offers that sound too good to be true (such as winning a Facebook Lottery.)
Learn more about what to do if someone sends you a message that makes you uncomfortable.
Note:
if an email or Facebook message looks strange, don't open it or any attachments. Instead, report it to phish@fb.com or through the report links
that appear throughout Facebook.
How to handle messages asking for your Facebook password or personal information
How to handle messages asking for your Facebook password or personal information
Your password is private. If someone sends you a message asking you to share your password or personal information:
Don't share your password in an email, text or any other message.
Don't share your password publicly on the internet or elsewhere.
Don't answer any messages asking you to share your password or personal information, like your social security number or credit card number.
Don't click links or open attachements in messages that ask you to share your password or personal information.
About phishing and scams
Phishing
is a scam where someone tries to get access to your Facebook account. These scammers send a suspicious message or link that asks for your personal information.
Don't trust messages demanding money, offering gifts or threatening to delete or ban your Facebook account in exchange for your personal information or otherwise. If a scammer gets into your account, they may use your account to send spam.
Learn more about how to protect yourself from phishing attempts
and other ways to keep your account secure
.
How to approve a comment on your Facebook post if it's marked as spam
How to approve a comment on your Facebook post if it's marked as spam
Right now you can only approve comments from a computer or the Facebook app for iOS or Android.
We hide a comment on a post and mark it as spam if:
We think it looks suspicious.
It's been shared too often in a short amount of time.
Someone else's comment on my post was marked as spam
If someone's comment on your post was marked as spam, you can decide to delete it or approve it. It will remain hidden until you decide.
Approve or delete a comment marked as spam
1.
Go to Facebook.com on a computer or open the Facebook app for iOS or Android.
2.
Go to the post with the comment marked as spam and tap Show comment
to see it.
3.
Tap Review options
.
4.
Tap Keep Comment
to allow the comment to be seen or Delete Comment
to remove it.
If you choose to keep the comment on your post, we'll let the person who posted it know.
My comment was marked as spam
If your comment was marked as spam, you can click Not Spam
to tell the person who made the post that you'd like your comment approved. It will remain hidden until they allow the comment or delete it.
If you didn't post the comment marked as spam, you can click I didn't post this
and we'll help you secure your account.
I was warned for sending spam or harassing messages on Facebook
I was warned for sending spam or harassing messages on Facebook
It's against our Community Standards
to send spam or engage in harassing behavior. If you received a warning that you were sending spam on Facebook, you may have:
Sent friend requests to people you don't know in real life.
Posted or shared something too quickly or too often in a short amount of time.
Tagged or messaged people who aren't your friends.
Sent someone a message or link that they marked as unwelcome.
Contacted people for commercial purposes without their consent. If you'd like to use Facebook for your business, you should create a Facebook Page
.
I have limited access to my Facebook account.
I have limited access to my Facebook account.
Sometimes people get blocked from using features on Facebook for reasons other than malicious software.
Your account may have limited features right now because a computer you used to access Facebook may have a virus or malicious software. We did this to help prevent this problem from spreading to other accounts.
We’ll let you know if there are other steps you need to take. Otherwise, your account should return to normal once we fix the problem. Keep in mind, this can take a few days.
What to know about limited access
You can still browse Facebook, but can't comment on posts or send friend requests.
Depending on the type of issue, you may be able to access Facebook as normal on another computer, phone or tablet.
You can stay updated about your account by checking your Support Inbox
.
Learn more about how to keep your account secure
, including tips for passwords and suspicious links.
How to check if a link I'm viewing on Facebook is secure
How to check if a link I'm viewing on Facebook is secure
When you view a link from the Facebook Mobile Browser, we'll first check it with our security systems and let you know if it's secure.
If the link is secure
You'll see the name or URL at the top of the page next to a green lock.
You'll have a secure connection between your device and the website you're visiting. This means Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology is encrypting your connection to protect any sensitive information you may enter on the screen, such as your password and credit card numbers.
If the link is not secure
You'll see the name or URL at the top of the page in gray with no symbol.
You'll be able to view the link, but you won't have a secure connection between your device and the website you're visiting. This means any sensitive information you enter on the screen, such as your password or credit card numbers, won't be encrypted.
If the link is suspicious
You'll see the name or URL at the top of the page next to a red triangle.
You may also see a red or gray warning screen telling you the website appears suspicious, has a configuration problem or is spreading malicious software
and may be unsafe to visit. We recommend not visiting pages with a red warning screen and being cautious when visiting pages with a gray warning screen.
If you're blocked and still want to visit the website, tap View Details
then select Proceed Anyways
.
If you want to return to Facebook or the previous page you were viewing, tap Back to Safety
.
If you visit a link on Facebook that you think is suspicious or contains spam, you can report it to us
.
We use the Google Safe Browsing
database and our own security systems to check for these threats.
