Online phishing with a “ph” is when a hacker or thief tries to get access to your account by sending you a suspicious message or link that asks for your personal information. These messages may also claim that your account will be banned or deleted if you don’t follow their directions quickly. If this hacker gets into your account, they may use it to spam others or steal your digital information.
We have all experienced the classic email or direct message of someone claiming to be a close relative trapped in a foreign country and needing money to be sent to them very urgently. In fact, the first time you saw such an email, maybe you even believed it for a bit because it was unexpected, and personal account hacking was a new concept.
But now it’s 2024, and spam is getting increasingly sophisticated. Even savvy advertisers are clicking on phishing scams and getting hacked. Hackers have become adept at blending in on Meta platforms, making their phishing attempts harder and harder to detect. Sometimes, scammers even create fake emails that look convincingly like they’re from Facebook.
That’s why we’ve made this list of tips on how to spot a phishing attempt on Meta platforms!
Look out for:
- False Claims that you violated Community Standards. The messages claim your business doesn’t comply with Meta Advertising Standards., Commerce Policies, and other policies and terms.
- Notifications about suspicious friend requests, messages, events, photos, and videos.
- Warnings that something will happen to your account if you don’t update it or take certain actions.
- Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers (like winning a Facebook Lottery).
These are all telltale signs that someone is trying to hook you with a phishing scam, but remember that Facebook will never ask you for your password in an email or send you a password as an attachment. Also, if something looks suspicious, just ask us! January Spring has got your back, and we will make sure your account is secure.
Understanding Meta’s ad review process will help you create ads that comply with their guidelines and protect you from phishing scams. See the official process!
Here’s how Meta’s ad review process works:
Ad Creation and Submission: We build your ad and submit it through Meta’s ad platform (like Facebook Ads Manager).
Automated Review: Once submitted, Meta’s automated systems immediately start reviewing your ad. These systems scan for policy compliance, checking elements like language, imagery, and targeting criteria.
Human Review (if necessary): If the automated system flags any issues or if your ad falls into certain sensitive categories (like political content), a human reviewer will manually check your ad to ensure it adheres to Meta’s advertising policies.
Approval or Rejection:
Approval: If your ad meets all the guidelines, it gets approved and starts running as per your campaign settings.
Rejection: If your ad doesn’t comply, it gets rejected. We’ll receive a notification with specific reasons for the rejection and suggestions on how to modify your ad to meet the guidelines.
Appeal Process: If we believe your ad was wrongly rejected, we can request a review. Meta will re-evaluate the ad, potentially involving another human reviewer to ensure fairness.
By getting to know this process, you can now make sure your ads are not just policy-compliant but also ready to reel in approval and success. This keeps your campaigns casting smoothly and protects your brand from the snags of non-compliance and phishing threats.
In addition to being able to spot a phishing scam, we want to arm you with the tools to keep your account secure and ward off any hackers. Before you run a Meta campaign, it is very important to secure your account. So, how can you secure your account?
How to keep your account secure:
- Protect your password: Use a strong, unique password and change it regularly.
- Set up two-factor authentication and other security options: Add an extra layer of security.
- Never share your login information: Keep it to yourself.
- Review Page roles and permissions: Ensure only trusted individuals have access.
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know: Be cautious about who you connect with.
- Never click suspicious links, even if they appear to come from a friend or a company you know.
- Watch out for malicious software: Keep your devices protected.
- Log out of Facebook when using a shared computer: Don’t leave your account accessible to others.
To learn how to set up two-factor authentication, check out this guide: Meta Account Two-Factor Authentication.
For managing comments on your ads, visit: Manage Comments on Facebook Ads.
There you have it! Your crash course on how to identify phishing scams. Stay vigilant and remember, if something seems suspicious, just ask us!