At Ignite, we manage a lot of our clients social media profiles, as well as our Own Ignite Performance Marketing social accounts. I have noticed a trending "Scammy" looking message that has been coming to some of our manages accounts in high numbers. The message references a supposed copyright violation on your Facebook account. I wanted to quickly write an article to help small business owners what this message is, and why you should ignore, report and delete the messages. Here’s a detailed look at what this scam entails, its implications, and steps to protect yourself.
Understanding the Scam
Many Facebook business page owners have been receiving messages similar to the following:
Message Example:
❗ Important Notification
This image contains copyrighted material, flagged by Facebook monitoring system. This not only jeopardizes our platform's integrity but also has significant repercussions for our community and budget.
Due to the severity of this violation, we have no choice but to remove your Facebook page from our platform immediately.
If you believe this is a misunderstanding, we ask that you contact us to restore your page before it is removed from Facebook.
Contact us Here: [Link]
What Kind of Scam Is This?
This message is a phishing scam. Phishing scams are designed to trick recipients into providing sensitive information, such as login credentials, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity—in this case, Facebook. For some, this types of messages can be seen as obvious scams, but for other who are less familiar with Social Media, it is not always clear. Below are some key indicators you can use when identifying a scam message.
Key Indicators of the Scam:
Urgency and Fear Tactics: The message creates a sense of urgency and fear, prompting immediate action to avoid severe consequences.
Suspicious Links: The provided link often directs to a third-party website that mimics Facebook’s appearance but is designed to steal information.
Unusual Contact Methods: Legitimate Facebook notifications usually appear within the platform itself and not through external links. This is an important thing to keep in mind when you receive a sketchy looking message on ANY platform.
Steps to Take if You Receive This Message:
Do Not Click on the Link: Avoid clicking on any links provided in the message. Only ever click on links from sources you trust, and even then remember that a legitimate account can be hacked and used to send messages. These links are designed to redirect you to phishing sites and can often look almost identical to the REAL site that they are representing.
Verify Through Official Channels: Check your Facebook page notifications or the Help Center directly for any official messages from Facebook. If there WAS something wrong with a post, or your account, this is likely where you would find this notice.
Report the Message: Use Facebook’s reporting tools to report the message as spam or phishing.
Educate Your Team: Ensure that all members managing your Facebook page are aware of this scam and understand how to recognize phishing attempts.
Additional Tips for Protection:
Enable Two-Factor Authentication: This adds an extra layer of security to your Facebook account, making it harder for scammers to gain access.
Regularly Update Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for your Facebook account and change them periodically.
Monitor Account Activity: Regularly review your account activity for any unauthorized changes or login attempts.
Phishing scams like the “Copyright Infringement” message are becoming increasingly sophisticated. By staying informed and vigilant, you can protect your business page from these deceptive tactics. Always verify the authenticity of messages through official channels and educate your team to recognize and report suspicious activity.
Stay safe online and ensure your digital presence remains secure from scammers. If you ever doubt the legitimacy of a message, contact Facebook support directly through their official platform. I don't see any end to scamming attempts in sight, but if we educate and inform our collogues and peers, we can decrease the likelihood of success for scammers.
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