Common Facebook Messenger Scams and How To Avoid Them

Some common scams on Facebook Messenger include requests for authentication codes, fake charity pages asking for donations, messages offering investment advice or even fake giveaways. Facebook Messenger is a messaging service that allows you to share photos, videos and messages with your friends on Facebook.

Continue reading to learn what Facebook Messenger scams are, some common scams you may encounter while using Facebook and how you can prevent becoming a victim of these scams.

What are Facebook Messenger scams?

Scams on Facebook Messenger occur when scammers use the app to trick Facebook users into sharing personal information, clicking on malicious links or even sending money. Usually, scammers will pretend to be someone their targets know, like a mutual friend or family member, by setting up a fake profile or hacking into a legitimate account to commit phishing attacks. Since Facebook Messenger is used to send messages to people you likely trust or have lost touch with, scammers take advantage of how easy it is to reach out to you unexpectedly and target you with these scams.

Common scams on Facebook Messenger

Since scammers can have many different intentions and goals when it comes to scamming on Facebook Messenger, there are a variety of ways you could get scammed. Here are several of the most common types of scams on Facebook Messenger.

You receive requests for authentication codes

A scammer may pretend to be one of your Facebook friends by creating an almost identical profile to a real friend. They will message you, claiming they need help gaining access to an email account or another online account. To assist them, the scammer will send you a Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) code. However, if you provide any code you’ve received, you will only be giving the scammer access to your own account because they already know your username and password. Remember, never give anyone – even people you think you can trust – your 2FA code.

A friend or family member asks you for money

When you think of a typical Facebook Messenger scam, you likely imagine someone claiming to be a friend or family member asking you for money. Although it is often obvious when someone creates a phony account and randomly asks for money, scammers are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make this scam more convincing. Instead of just receiving a written message asking for money in a dire situation, you may receive a voice message or even a short phone call from someone who sounds exactly like your friend or family member. Scammers find video and audio recordings of the person they are impersonating, then use AI to mask their own voice to sound like someone you trust. Assuming that you will believe the sound of your friend or family member’s voice, the scammer will ask for money as a result of an emergency. Make sure not to automatically trust voice or video calls asking you for money, even from people you think you know, due to scammers’ increasing use of AI.

A fake charity page asks for donations

Even though most Facebook Messenger scammers impersonate a friend or family member, some create fake accounts posing as charities to mislead you into donating money to a non-existent cause. If you receive a message from a page administrator for a charity you have never heard of or from a popular charity using an unofficial account, do your research before sending any money. An easy way to check the legitimacy of a charity is by visiting CharityNavigator.org or CharityWatch.org. You should also research the organizers and page administrators for the charity to verify if the account asking for donations is legitimate.

You receive a “Look who died” or “Is this you?” message

Facebook Messenger scammers will say anything to get your attention and incite either curiosity or fear to manipulate you. A scammer may message you with a malicious link claiming to be a video of you doing something or an online obituary, which can lead to you clicking the link and installing malware on your device. Sometimes, a scammer will send you a link to a fake website where you are prompted to enter your Facebook login credentials. If you enter your information on this fake website, the scammer will have direct access to your account. Make sure never to click on links from unsolicited messages, even if you think it’s from someone you know. To check a message’s legitimacy, contact the friend the scammer is impersonating by texting or calling them outside of Facebook.

You receive a message offering investment advice

Most people tend not to take advice from strangers, so scammers will build your trust to convince you to invest in a fake platform or project. For example, imagine you receive a message from someone interested in building a friendship or romantic relationship. They will develop a close bond with you over time, learning your interests and hobbies. One day, they will try to convince you to invest in a fake cryptocurrency scheme that the scammer owns. If you give them your money or other private information, the scammer will take your money and potentially commit identity theft based on the information you share with them.

Someone claiming you can receive “free money” from government programs

You may receive a message on Facebook Messenger from someone impersonating a person who benefited from a government program, offering you “free money.” A scammer will send you a phishing message, claiming they received hundreds of thousands of dollars through a new government program. They will suggest that you apply and send you a link to fill out with your personal information. However, if you click the link, your device could become infected with malware, and you could jeopardize your privacy by entering your Social Security number (SSN), bank account numbers or other sensitive information. Any mention of “free money” should indicate that someone is trying to scam you. Even if you receive a message like this from a friend or family member, a scammer may have hacked into their account or created a fake account to trick you.

You receive a message claiming you won a prize or giveaway

Since scammers know everyone loves free things and winning giveaways, a common Facebook Messenger scam takes advantage of people’s eagerness to claim a prize. A scammer might message you while posing as a friend or family member on Facebook Messenger, claiming that you both won an award or prize. If you click the link in the message, you will be asked to pay fees in order to receive your grand prize. By sending the money to receive your prize, you will only lose real money to a fake giveaway. Avoid interacting with any messages that claim you’ve won money or a giveaway, especially if you don’t typically enter online giveaways. Any message that asks for personal information or money is likely a scam.

A Facebook Marketplace seller offers you an item that’s too good to be true

In addition to offering free money and prizes, scammers may message you on Facebook Messenger about discounted items they’re selling on Facebook Marketplace. Since many people buy and sell goods on Facebook Marketplace, scammers can exploit your willingness to find a good deal by messaging you with too-good-to-be-true offers. For example, you might receive a message about someone selling a brand-new video game console for $50. This should raise suspicion, as most brand-new video game consoles are priced at approximately $500. The scammer might ask for your personal information, including a payment method, if you express interest in the item. Do not provide any information, especially your credit card number, as it can be used to commit fraud and identity theft. Be wary of items priced extremely low on Facebook Marketplace, and do not trust anyone who messages you on Facebook Messenger regarding a very low-priced item.

How to stay protected against Facebook Messenger scams

Despite the number of potential scams you could face on Facebook Messenger, there are many simple things you can do to protect yourself from scammers.

Secure your Facebook account

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from Facebook Messenger scammers is to secure your Facebook account by using a strong password and enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). You should have a strong and unique password for your Facebook account, consisting of at least 16 characters and a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. After updating your Facebook password to a more secure one, you should also enable MFA, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification of your identity. Examples of MFA include a code from an authenticator app, a PIN, an answer to a security question or your fingerprint. With MFA enabled on your Facebook account, a scammer will not be able to access your account with only your username and password.

Never respond to unsolicited requests for your personal information or money

You should ignore and delete any unsolicited messages if someone asks for your personal information or money. Regardless of the type of Facebook Messenger scam, it is unsafe to share any private information, such as an authentication code or credit card information, or to send money in response to an unsolicited message.

Don’t click unsolicited links in messages

Just as you shouldn’t send information or money in response to unsolicited messages, you should also avoid clicking links and attachments in unsolicited messages because they may contain malware or lead to malicious fake websites. Once malware is installed on your device, a scammer can gain access to your private information and even spy on your online activity. Unsolicited links are often unsafe, so you should check the safety of a link before clicking on it.

Confirm the identity of the person before interacting with them

If a scammer is impersonating someone you know well, contact the legitimate person outside of Facebook through a text message or phone call to verify whether they messaged you regarding the context of the scam. For example, if your nephew messaged you on Facebook Messenger asking for money due to a car accident, call your nephew through another method besides Facebook to confirm whether they were in a car accident and messaged you. Rather than interacting with someone on Facebook Messenger claiming to be someone you know, always verify the person’s identity by contacting the legitimate person on another platform.

Report and block scammers who send you messages

After recognizing that you have been messaged by a scammer on Facebook Messenger, report and block the user. Before deleting any messages, make sure to take screenshots as evidence when you report the scam to Facebook. You should report these messages so the scammers’ accounts can be disabled by Facebook 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

Since there are so many different kinds of Facebook Messenger scams to be aware of, it’s best to secure your Facebook account and stay up to date on the latest scams. Protect your Facebook account by using a strong and unique password and enabling MFA. A convenient way to generate and store a more secure password for your Facebook account is by using Keeper Password Manager, which has a built-in password generator and encrypted digital vault. It can also generate your MFA codes and automatically fill them in to add an extra layer of protection to your account.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to keep Facebook Messenger and other online accounts protected from potential scammers.