Social media like Facebook has become a haven for scammers and imposters; they hide in popular social networking sites to spot and scam victims. But Facebook is filled with all kinds of scammers, and they go as far as blackmailing prominent icons. All kinds of dirty frauds possible on earth are in motion on Facebook. Every single day, millions of people get scammed knowingly or unknowingly. You do not know this, but scammers are watching your profile closely; they know your interests, niche and personality. It is a matter of time; they will show up in your chat day and night to convince you to do some fishy stuff. Before you reach this point, here is how you can spot these nasty Facebook scams and avoid them.
Fake Giveaway Frauds
Social media fraud sometimes involves something free, such as a gift card, prize, or contest. One popular scam involves con artists fabricating a Facebook page like a well-known business, state lottery, or prize draw, then advertising freebies or sending victims direct messages on Facebook (DMs) with the false impression they have won. Once you try to claim the prize by providing your credit and debit card details, you are already scammed because the scammer has used all your login credentials to rob you. How you can avoid these Facebook scams:
- First, check out the giveaway page and see if it’s authentic or not
- Brand names mean nothing because they are impersonated and not verified
- Scammers asking you to pay up in advance to avail the prize
Fake Charity Scams and Fund Me Campaigns
While many people genuinely want to assist those affected by catastrophes, criminals perceive it as a way to make money. Facebook scams exploit our innate desire to lend a hand to others. Scammers can make fake GoFundMe campaigns and clone websites to trick people into sending money. Now, if you have fallen for this scam, can you recover the money? How to spot charity scams:
- Verify the person featured in the Ad or verify the organization before donating.
- Learn everything you can about the cause you donate to, but you will find everything forced and forged in fake charity.
- Scammers taking donations in non-conventional payment methods
Now, if you lose money to these Facebook scams, chances are you will only get your money back if you track down the scammer first. But in the case of crypto, online scam recovery UK is possible; file a complaint to the local authority.
Romance Fruds and Sextortion
Most romance Facebook scams take place online, with requests for money following new romantic ties. Once scammers have gained their victim’s trust, they use emotional manipulation and social engineering to induce them to give money. Sextortion schemes are a more sinister variation of romance scams, wherein con artists trick their victims into sending lewd images or videos. The fraudsters will leak the footage to all your dearest relatives and close associates if you do not pay for this. Therefore, they will demand money right now. Avoid these individuals if they seem to be flattery excessively, asking for your details, your profile picture is not clear or made with Ai, profile is empty.