Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with more than 2.7 billion active monthly users. With such a massive user base, it’s no surprise that there are scammers who use the platform to prey on unsuspecting victims. These scams can take many forms, from fake event tickets for sale to phishing attacks designed to steal personal information. The West Jordan Police Department is offering some insight on the most common Facebook scams and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Fake Giveaways/Tickets

Fake giveaways or ticket sales are one of the most common Facebook scams. Scammers create a post or comment on a post claiming that they are giving away a valuable prize, or tickets to an event that has since sold out. Scammers will ask users to add them as a friend and private message them to provide personal information, such as their email address or phone number. Adding these scammers to your friends list makes them more ‘trusted’ by your other friends making them new potential targets. They will then ask that you e-pay them through an app, and never send over the tickets.

How to Avoid: always check the legitimacy of the person before engaging. Check their friend list, how long they’ve been on the social media platform, or if they live near where the event is happening. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are another common type of Facebook scam. Scammers create fake login pages that look identical to the official Facebook login page. They then send users a message or post a link to the fake login page, asking them to log in to their Facebook account. Once the user enters their login credentials, the scammers can access their Facebook account and steal their personal information.

How to Avoid: always check the URL of the login page before entering your login credentials. The official Facebook login page should have the URL “https://www.facebook.com/” at the beginning. If the URL is different, it’s probably a phishing scam.

Fake Customer Support

Some scammers create fake customer support pages to trick users into giving away personal information. These pages often look identical to the official Facebook customer support page and may even use the same logos and graphics. Scammers will ask users to provide personal information, such as their email address, phone number, or Facebook login credentials, to resolve an issue with their account.

How to Avoid: always check the URL of the page before providing any personal information. The official Facebook customer support page should have the URL “https://www.facebook.com/help/” at the beginning.

If you spot a scam or become a victim of a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission:

• Call the FTC: 1-877-382-4357
• Go online: ftc.gov/complaint

Your complaint can help protect others. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify the imposters and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money.