Meta helps protect people from fraud and scams.
Scams and fraud are a problem that affect people across the internet. We continuously work to inform people about common fraud and scams, and build tools to thelp them protect themslves across our platforms. Learn how to spot, avoid, and foil common scams here.
Spot
Knowing the signs of common fraud and scams is the first step to protecting yourself. These are some signs to be aware of.
E-Commerce Scams
E-commerce scams will impersonate a legitimate vendor or online marketplace, in order to steal your financial information or make you click on a dangerous link. Be wary of emails claiming there was an issue with your checkout, and never click on a link if you don't recognize. Check any emails or messages you get for spelling errors, fake brands, or absurd offers. And if you're not sure whether an email is real, you can always double-check your payment history directly in your Facebook settings or with your financial services provider.
Financial Scams
Financial scams use the promise of low-risk, high-return investments in order to collect your financial information and scam you. They often urge you to make decisions quickly, so you don't have time to find out whether the opportunity is a scam or not. Remember: if an investment opportunity feels too good to be true, it problably is.
Gambling Scams
Gambling scams use false advertising to promote fake gambling or betting products, and steal your financial information. They often use the promise of "free" bets to encourage you to click. Independently verify any gambling sites before you use them, and make sure that you stick to ones you know and trust.
Romance Scams
Romance scams use fake social media profiles to create trust and build a fake relationship with you, in order to eventually steal your financial information or deceive you into sending money. Protect yourself by verifying any photos sent, and making sure that you don't send any of your personal information too soon. Beware of anyone asking for money or sharing a "great investment opportunity" with you.
Celebrity Impersonation
Fraudsters often impersonate celebrities or other high-profile individuals in order to lure you to scam sites. Be wary of clicking on any links that you don't recognize, or of unexpected messages. If your favorite celebrity reaches out to you personally, or is promoting something that seems to good to be true, be cautious.
Government Benefits And Services Impersonation
Scammers often impersonate government services or bodies in order to steal your personal and financial information. Remember: real government agencies or officials will never ask for any sensitive information like PINs or passwords
Avoid
Meta gives people various tools to help them stay one step ahead of scammers and fraudsters. Take advantage of these safety tools:
Report
The most powerful way to protect yourself from common online scams and fraud is by reporting suspicious activity. With a single click, the 'Report' tool removes a messge from your feed, alerts Meta of a potential scam, and helps stop the spread of potentially violating content.
Policies
Explore the links below to learn more about the standards, guidelines and policies that guide the actions Meta takes to help keep you safer from online scams and fraud.