How To Avoid Eight Common Facebook Messenger Scams

Updated on April 10, 2025.

Facebook Messenger scams trick you into sharing personal information, clicking on malicious links or even sending money. Scammers typically impersonate familiar people, such as friends or family members, by creating fake profiles or hacking legitimate Facebook accounts. According to F-Secure, 62% of Facebook users encounter a scam each week. Some common Facebook Messenger scams include requests for authentication codes, fake charity pages, messages offering investment advice or even fake giveaways. With the convenience of sending messages to your friends and loved ones through Facebook Messenger, it’s easy for scammers to target you when you least expect it.

Continue reading to learn about eight common Facebook Messenger scams, how they work and ways to protect yourself from falling victim to them.

1. “Is this you?” or “Look who died” scam

Scammers on Facebook Messenger will say anything to grab your attention, using social engineering tactics that manipulate you through curiosity or fear. For example, they may send you a message with a malicious link, claiming it’s a video of you or an online obituary. They’ll trick you into clicking it, often leading to malware being installed on your device. Sometimes, they might direct you to a spoofed website that asks for your Facebook login credentials. If you enter your information on this fake website, you’re essentially handing it over to the scammer, who can gain access to your account.

How to avoid this scam

• Avoid suspicious links: Be cautious and never click on links from unsolicited messages, even if they appear to come from someone you know.
• Check the sender’s profile: Look at the sender’s profile to verify their identity. Scammers create fake accounts with few details and no mutual connections, so be sure of who the message is coming from.

2. Request for money scam

When you think of a typical Facebook Messenger scam, you likely picture someone pretending to be a friend or family member asking for money. Although it’s often easy to spot a phony account making such requests, scammers are now using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make this scam even more convincing. Instead of just sending a text asking for your help, scammers may send you a voice message or even a phone call from someone who sounds exactly like someone you trust. Scammers collect video and audio recordings of the person they are impersonating, then use AI to mask their own voice and mimic the inflection of your loved one. Assuming that you’ll believe the voice of someone you know, the scammer will claim to be in an emergency and ask for money.

How to avoid this scam

• Don’t trust unsolicited messages: Even if the voice in the message or call sounds familiar, do not trust what you hear. Scammers can replicate anyone’s voice with AI as long as they’ve gathered enough media.
• Question emergency requests: Be cautious if someone is urgently asking for money, especially if it’s an out-of-character request. Scammers create fake emergencies that seem desperate, but if the request feels unusual, verify its legitimacy before acting.
• Create a safe word with your friends and family: Establish a unique safe word with friends and family that only they will know. If someone asks for sensitive information or money, you can verify their identity by asking for the safe word before sending them anything.

3. Fake investment scam

Scammers know most people are hesitant to take advice from strangers, so they work hard to build your trust. They may start by pretending to be interested in forming a friendship or even a romantic relationship. Over time, they develop a close bond with you, learning about your interests, hobbies and personal life. Once they’ve gained your trust, they’ll try to convince you to invest in a fake opportunity, such as a cryptocurrency scheme they claim to be involved in. If you fall for the scam and invest money or share sensitive information, the scammer can take your money and even commit identity theft with the information you’ve shared.

How to avoid this scam

• Beware of unsolicited investment offers: If someone you’ve just met online asks you to invest in something, be skeptical – they may be a catfish. Be cautious about interacting with them if you’ve never heard of them or the platform they’re promoting.
• Verify investment opportunities: Before investing in anything, do your own research to verify the legitimacy of the platform. Consult with financial professionals to ensure an investment is legitimate.

4. Request for authentication code scam

Scammers go to great lengths to impersonate people you trust, including creating a nearly identical profile to a real friend. The scammer will message you, claiming they need help accessing an online account. To help them, they’ll ask you to provide a Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) code, which they claim they can’t access on their own. However, if you share any 2FA code you receive, you’re actually giving the scammer access to your online account because they most likely already know your username and password. 

How to avoid this scam

• Never share your 2FA code: Always keep your 2FA codes to yourself. No legitimate person should ask you for it, and sharing it will compromise your account security.
• Confirm the sender’s identity: If someone claims to be a friend and asks you for a 2FA code, contact them by texting or calling them outside of Facebook to verify that they requested a 2FA code from you.

5. Fake charity scam

While many Facebook Messenger scammers impersonate friends or family members, some pretend to be charitable organizations to deceive you. These scammers create fake accounts that pose as legitimate charities, trying to convince you to donate money to a non-existent cause. Their profiles may be convincing with logos, names and branding that look almost identical to the real charity they claim to be. The goal of this scam is to exploit your trust and steal your money or personal details.

How to avoid this scam

• Research the account and administrators: Look up the administrators and organizers of the charity to verify if they’re associated with the actual organization, especially if the page uses unofficial accounts or has limited online presence. Refer to the charity’s official website if it is a legitimate charity.
• Verify the charity’s legitimacy: Before donating, check trusted charity review websites like CharityNavigator.org or CharityWatch.org to ensure the organization is legitimate.

6. Fake government program scam

You may receive a message on Facebook Messenger from someone impersonating a person who claims to have benefited from a government program, offering you “free money.” In these scams, the scammer will tell you they received a large amount of money through a new government initiative. They’ll urge you to apply for the same benefit or grant, sending you a link that appears to lead to an official government website. Once you click on the link, the website will ask for personal information, including your Social Security number (SSN) and bank account details. However, clicking on the link could result in your device being infected with malware, potentially compromising your privacy and security. Even if the message seems to come from someone you trust, their account could have been hacked.

How to avoid this scam

• Don’t click on suspicious links: Avoid clicking on links that claim to offer free government benefits or grants, especially if you receive them out of the blue.
• Verify any official communication: Contact the government program directly through another method to verify if it exists and/or if the person you know genuinely sent the message.

7. Fake Facebook Marketplace item scam

Scammers take advantage of your desire to find a great deal by messaging you on Facebook Messenger about discounted items they’re supposedly selling on Facebook Marketplace. These messages might offer deals that are too good to be true, like a new video game console for $50 when the actual price is closer to $500. The scammer will ask for your personal information or payment details if you show interest in the item. Once you provide your information, they can use it for fraud or identity theft.

How to avoid this scam

• Question deals that seem too good to be true: If the price of an item seems far below its normal value, it’s likely a scam. Trust your instincts and avoid engaging with the individual trying to sell you their item.
• Never share payment information: Avoid sending money or providing payment details directly through Facebook Messenger. Always use official, secure payment platforms when buying or selling items on online marketplaces like Facebook.

8. Fake prize or giveaway scam

In this scam, scammers impersonate friends or family members on Facebook Messenger, claiming that you’ve won a prize or award. The message might contain a link urging you to click it to claim your prize. However, once you click the link, you’ll be asked to pay fees upfront to receive your prize. If you send the money, you’ll lose real money to a fake giveaway, and the scammer will disappear with your funds.

How to avoid this scam

• Be skeptical of unexpected prize notifications: If you never entered a giveaway or contest, it’s almost certainly a scam. Don’t engage with messages claiming you’ve won something you didn’t sign up for.
• Never pay fees to claim a prize: Legitimate giveaways don’t ask you to pay fees to claim your prize. If a message requires you to pay anything, it’s likely a scam.

What to do if you get scammed on Facebook Messenger

Unfortunately, even if you know the warning signs, there is always a chance of getting scammed. If you’ve fallen victim to a Facebook Messenger scam, act quickly to protect your personal information and privacy.

• Secure your Facebook account: If you shared your personal information with a scammer or clicked on a malicious link, change your Facebook password immediately. You should also enable 2FA for extra security.
• Warn your friends and family: If a scammer accessed your Facebook account to send scam messages, let your contacts know as soon as possible. This prevents them from clicking any malicious links or sharing their personal information with your account until it’s secure again.
• Scan your device for malware: If you downloaded anything or were redirected to a spoofed website, use antivirus software to run a scan of your device to ensure any known viruses are removed.
• Consider placing a fraud alert: If you shared sensitive information like your SSN or credit card details with a scammer, keep a close eye on your accounts and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze to protect your identity.

How to report and block Facebook Messenger scammers

If you identify a scammer on Facebook Messenger, report and block them immediately. Before deleting any messages, take screenshots as evidence to help with your report. By reporting these messages to Facebook, you’ll be contributing to the disabling of the scammer’s account for violating community guidelines. To report a scammer’s profile or page, find their profile and click the three dots below their cover photo. Select Find support or report profile/page, then follow the instructions to file a report.

Be wary of Facebook Messenger scams

With so many types of Facebook Messenger scams out there, it’s important to secure your account and stay informed about the latest online scams. Protect your account by using a strong, unique password and enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). By using Keeper Password Manager, you can generate and securely store your password in an encrypted digital vault. Keeper can also generate your MFA codes and automatically fill them in, providing an added layer of protection for your account.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to protect your online accounts from potential scammers.