On Facebook, phishing scams are widespread. Fortunately, there are techniques to prevent falling prey to one.
You are really more vulnerable if you believe you are safe from Facebook scams. If you are overconfident, you might underestimate the risks.
You can stay clear of phishing and scammers on Facebook by using these tips.
Why would someone hack into your Facebook account?
Mainly because they desire your personal data. They could steal your identity or gain access to your financial accounts using that information. Additionally, they have a variety of techniques to steal from you via Facebook.
Your login information is valuable for a number of reasons. One is that they might be linked to credit cards or other forms of payment. They may also assist the con artist in accessing other accounts. Taking your bank or online shopping accounts as an example.
A scammer moves quickly once they have some clues. They can quickly check hundreds of passwords thanks to automated software. You must protect your information if you want to be safe.
Remove personal details
Prior to Facebook’s growth, online anonymity was the norm. Sharing details about your personal life was viewed as being quite dangerous.
However, Facebook mandates that users use their legal names.
Limiting the information you share is preferable. The most effective strategy to protect oneself is to create an anonymous Facebook page.
After all, making social connections doesn’t require disclosing your past employment history.
You can go one step further and restrict message sending to only friends of yours. Utilize the Privacy Settings to do this.
Manage your Privacy Settings
If you’ve been using Facebook for a while, your profile likely has a lot of organized information. Given that it’s a useful tool for reference, you might decide against removing it. Make sure you are the only person who can access this information if you plan to retain it on Facebook.
Go to Settings & Privacy > Privacy Center on the Facebook website or mobile app. Check out our Facebook Privacy guide for suggested settings.
Conducting routine privacy checks is a good idea.
Remove suspicious apps
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A lot of apps ask to access your Facebook profile. The access typically only serves to allow the app’s social media sharing capabilities. But you should still check your authorized apps.
Under Settings & Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites, you can access them. Any unfamiliar apps should be deleted. Keep in mind that this list will include applications where you can log in using Facebook.
Don’t click strange URLs
Automated messages attempt to get you to divulge your personal information. The message may attempt to frighten you or seduce you with promises of amusing or intriguing content. They frequently have a link in them.
If you get a message like that, even from a friend, don’t click the link or follow the instructions. Instead, respond by requesting further information. Your friend can explain the situation to you, but a bot won’t respond.
Signs of a Facebook scam
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Sending you a link to a bogus website, frequently a login page, is one common trick. Never forget that before clicking a link, Facebook will never ask you to “verify your account.”
Sometimes, instead of creating bogus pages, scammers take screenshots of the actual website. No action should be taken on a phishing website. However, you will frequently discover that the links are truly photos if you long-tap or right-click to inspect them. The fuzzy nature also makes this obvious.
Don’t reply to trivia posts
Facebook is filled of public posts requesting trivia from people. They frequently ask for sentimental items like your first car or favorite teacher. These posts appear entertaining, but they are risky.
Scammers can guess your password or security questions by responding to these questions. It’s preferable to start a conversation in a private chat rather than leave a comment if the question inspires you to do so.
Add people you only know
Before agreeing to something, make sure you can trust the person. Personal information concealed by “friends only” privacy settings is frequently sought after by scammers. It’s a good idea to keep your Facebook Friends list to people you truly know in order to protect yourself.
A typical Facebook Marketplace fraud involves sending friend requests to prospective customers. The vendor may claim they have no other means to get in touch with you, but this is a deception.
You don’t need to be Facebook friends to talk to someone you don’t know. You may employ Messenger. Enable Message Requests by going to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy.
Use a strong password
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Avoid using passwords that are easy to guess, such as phone numbers, pet names, and similar information. Additionally, avoid using the same password on multiple websites and stay away from short, easy passwords.
Your password must contain at least 14 characters. A mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols should also be present. Although there are more ways to ensure the security of your password, these are the fundamentals.
Despite how simple it is, you shouldn’t use other websites’ Log in with Facebook options. If your Facebook account is ever hacked, the loss will be larger the more websites it is connected to. Create separate logins for each account instead.
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