603-924-9867Facebook Phishing Scams
I received an email message from someone who manages one of our web client’s organizational Facebook page: The Peterborough Woman’s Club. She received an email containing what is shown in the two screen shots I merged into one graphic to the right. I suspected a Facebook phishing scam. If you have received messages looking like these, beware! Her message was brief:
Hello. Please see the attached pic of a message we received for the club’s face book page. Your business helped set this up so I’m hoping you may know why we received this.
This organization had previously had their Facebook page hacked. See our related article on the dangers of having just one Facebook admin for your Facebook presence (https://charlesworks.com/solitary-facebook-admin-for-your-business-or-organization-danger/). We helped them set up the current one after that fiasco.
I immediately checked and found her organization’s Facebook page appeared to come up just fine. The fact that her Facebook page did not appear to have any issues most likely meant this was a phishing attempt. Further research showed I was correct.
My Response to my Client’s Facebook Page Manager
Yes, this message is a phishing attempt. Here’s why:
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Suspicious Link – The message includes a shortened link (
https://shorten.is/@metacenterbusiness27905826). Official Facebook messages do not use URL shorteners or third-party domains. -
“Facebook User” Sender – The sender appears as “Facebook User,” which is a generic name and not an official Meta account.
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Poor Formatting & Grammar – While the text is relatively well-written, official Meta messages are more polished and formatted differently.
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No Immediate Issues with the Page – If your Facebook page is functioning normally, then there is no actual issue. Facebook typically provides notifications within the Facebook Support Inbox rather than through direct messages.
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Scare Tactics – The message attempts to create urgency by stating the page is scheduled for deletion, pressuring you to click the link.
What Should You Do In This Case?
- DO NOT click the link or enter any login credentials.
- Report the message to Facebook as phishing.
- Check the Facebook Support Inbox (https://www.facebook.com/support) for any real notifications from Meta.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security.
This is a classic of the many Facebook phishing scams designed to steal Facebook login credentials. You should ignore and delete the message.
How to Report Facebook Phishing Scams to Facebook
Your client can report the phishing message to Facebook by following these steps:
1. Report the Message in Messenger (if possible)
If they still have access to the message thread, they can report it directly in Facebook Messenger:
- Open the Messenger app or the Facebook website.
- Locate the message from “Facebook User.”
- Press and hold (on mobile) or hover over the message (on desktop).
- Click on “Report”.
- Select “Pretending to Be Someone” or “Spam” (depending on the options available).
- Follow the on-screen instructions to submit the report.
2. Report a Phishing Attempt to Facebook via Email
Facebook has a dedicated email address for reporting phishing attempts:
- Forward the phishing message (or a screenshot of it) to:
phish@fb.com
3. Report the Fake Link to Facebook
If your client accidentally clicked on the link or wants to help prevent others from falling for it:
- Go to Facebook’s Phishing Report Page
- Enter details about the scam.
- Submit the report.
4. Secure the Facebook Account
If you clicked on the phishing link or entered your login details:
- Change their password immediately at facebook.com/settings.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) under Security & Login settings.
- Check for any suspicious logins under Settings > Security & Login > Where You’re Logged In and log out of unfamiliar devices.
Let me know if you need further guidance!
See more about scams at:
https://charlesworks.com/category/phishing-scams-spoofs/
