by Sharon Snow
The holiday season is a time when scammers are highly active, exploiting the surge in online shopping and the festive atmosphere. It is important to remain vigilant and cautious in order to protect yourself from online scammers and becoming a victim of their schemes.
Because you are well aware of the abundance of scams, you lovingly warn your friends and family. You advise them to be cautious of suspicious emails, unsolicited phone calls, and fake websites that offer deals that are too good to be true. We certainly don’t want our loved ones or friends to become victims of these thieves.
Facebook Scams are on the Rise
You might have noticed an increased volume of Facebook messages to your business page alerting you to “violating their community standards.”
Be very aware of this scam. The message is accompanied by a professional looking image of an icon of a typical customer service rep. It’s a good trick that can be quite alarming if you’re told that your page will be shut down due to community standards violations.
These hackers want you to click in the message so they can act as though they are helping you with your page. Then they will ask for your password to your Facebook account “to reinstall” your account. This allows them to take control of your page, essentially hijacking your account.
If you are truly violating Facebook’s standards, they will give you plenty of notice and warnings. They will not email you nor send you a Messenger notice. Instead, they will delete the post in violation and post a notice in your Feed.
We have noticed a significant increase in this type of fraudulent behavior since Black Friday this year. The scammers have become more sophisticated to the point where even when you are on high alert, you can still be deceived.
Even Experienced Social Media Managers Get Scammed
As an experienced social media manager, I am always vigilant for the latest scams. So, when I let my guard down and fall victim to deceptive behavior, naturally I feel… well, downright MAD!
Here’s what happened…
I was browsing on Instagram, mindlessly viewing a reel of Jennifer Garner’s “Pretend Cooking Show.” This is a channel I’ve followed for quite some time and know it’s a legitimate account. As I was watching the reel, an ad popped up with Jennifer Garner promoting Le Creuset cookware.
Now this was enticing! Free Le Creuset if your name was drawn!
I filled in the entry form. Because of course…how cool would that be if I won Le Creuset cookware?!
I was then directed to another page with some great deals, presumably from Jennifer Garner and Le Creuset.
While browsing, I checked the landing page credentials, the links, and other details to verify its legitimacy. Everything looked good, so I decided to enter my debit card information to take advantage of a special rate on a Le Creuset Dutch Oven.
Shortly afterward, I checked my emails, looking for confirmation of my order.
Nothing.
Something prompted me to check my bank account. There it was, a charge of $9.95 from “LinJJinHomeDeco Gibsonville, NC.”
The wording caught my attention, so I decided to search for them on Google. The first word that came up was “SCAMMERS.”
As I read further, I felt sick. Then, I became really angry!
I mean, I’m on social media every day, I know how to identify scams! The more I read, the angrier I got. These scammers try to go unnoticed with a small, but monthly “subscription” fee.
I called my bank and talked with a customer rep and informed them of what happened. They will block fees coming from this company in the future.
I never once felt a niggling feeling that this was a scam…I mean, Jennifer Garner doesn’t scam people, she’s so wholesome! Not once did I think, someone copied her Reel and entered their own website info to look like hers!
The moral is…
If it looks too good to be true, it is!
I should know better. I’m in the social media management field and STILL got scammed!
Tips to Avoid Being Scammed
We definitely don’t want anyone else falling for these or any other scam, so here’s a few tips to help prevent it.
1.) Take a moment to Google first, purchase later. (If I had done this, I wouldn’t have been scammed!)
2.) Look at the URL. Does it make sense for the product or service? If it looks like gibberish, or if it doesn’t have the name of the website first, do step 1 again.
3.) Have someone else confirm that it looks right. Sometimes, we can get carried away with our excitement for a product or service and impulsively take action, especially during “limited time deals” like Black Friday or Christmas specials.
4.) Do not click on strange links sent by people through Facebook Messenger or other apps. Even if you know the person, they could have been hijacked and you might become the next victim. If your sister never sends TikTok links of a “must-have” product and you suddenly receive one from her, DO NOT click on it.
Final Thought
Even the best of us can fall victim to scams. It’s important to take a moment and not get carried away by the excitement of getting a great deal.
Before sharing personal information or making a purchase, always remember to verify the authenticity of any online seller or organization through Google or the Better Business Bureau (BBB). If I had followed this advice, I would have saved myself a lot of stress!