New Facebook scam puts big accounts at risk

The Social Network Registry Corporation contacts Facebook accounts claiming copyright infringement. In fact, behind it is a new scam on Facebook. This is how social media managers protect themselves from phishing.

It is probably one of the biggest fears of social media managers: A brazen Facebook fraud scam is enough and the important and secret access data for the Facebook company account are suddenly in the hands of criminals.

Nevertheless, such incidents occur more frequently than any active social media manager would like. That’s why it’s extremely important to keep a clear head at every moment because Facebook scammers are getting smarter too.

Facebook fraud: fan page links to sweepstakes and co.

It often happens that sweepstakes on Facebook and Instagram cause online crime. Lately, however, it is often not about tapping a profit.

Rather, the Facebook scammers want to steal the access data from (large) Facebook fan pages in order to use the stolen information to hijack the professional company pages and misuse them for their own purposes.

Therefore, caution is advised, especially in the context of raffles, sweepstakes and similar campaigns.

News from the Social Network Registry Corporation

The latest Facebook scam currently circulating on the social network comes from the so-called Social Network Registry Corporation. Behind this name are hidden Hundreds or thousands of fake accountswhich are easy to find via Facebook search.

The criminals contact or link Facebook accounts that allegedly committed a copyright infringement. In order to avoid being blocked, those affected should contact alleged Facebook employees via a short link.

Dear admin page. You need to claim your Page because it was found to have activity that violates Facebook Pages’ guidelines on community standards. For your protection, your Page isn’t visible to everyone on Facebook and you can’t use it. Verify that you’re the account owner by clicking the link below: In accordance with Facebook Community Standards, you have 24 hours to follow these steps to avoid permanently disabling your account. Thank you for helping us improve the way we run Facebook. Kind regards. Meta Community Standards Team.

As soon as you click on the link, which we have of course removed from the quote, you do not land in a chat with a Facebook employee, but on a phishing page where your login data is tapped.

How to Defend Against the Social Network Registry Corporation Facebook Scam

So that you don’t become a victim of Facebook scammers, we have put together a small checklist for you with key tips that you can use if you have any doubts.

1. Inform your team

Even for longtime social media managers, there is no shame in brooding. So don’t be ashamed if you have doubts about a message or a comment and get your colleagues on board.

2. Read the message or comment carefully

The above quoted message from the “Social Network Registry Corporation” sounds quite plausible when skimmed over. However, if you take a moment, you will quickly discover significant errors. An example could be the points after the opening and closing. Spelling and grammatical errors are also not uncommon.

3. Never click on someone else’s links

Of course, what applies to the Internet also applies to Facebook. Never click links or short links that take you away from Facebook and are obfuscated by third parties like Bitly. As soon as you step out of the Facebook universe, you end up in the realm of scammers.

4. Facebook and Instagram don’t link you in comments

The last and most important clue when checking a Facebook scam lies in the communication of the social networks themselves. Neither Facebook nor Instagram nor any other social platform would contact you via a public comment or a private message.

If there is indeed a copyright infringement, the social media will inform you via the email you have deposited. In addition, Instagram has a special area within the app where employees would look for contact.

Conclusion: New scam on Facebook

If you too are mentioned in a comment by the “Social Network Registry Corporation” in the near future, you can rest easy.

If you actually want to do something, you can report the relevant account to Facebook. However, the blocking of such accounts is likely to be short-lived, as the Facebook scammers simply keep opening new scammer accounts.

Likewise, as a social media manager, you should remember to never click on external links in comments or your inbox, or even reveal your login information in your form or direct message.

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