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Scammers know that your online reputation can dramatically affect your business. That’s why they’ve come up with this new scam. Beware of fake copyright infringement notices that prompt you to share your social media credentials.
How the scam works
You receive an official-looking email or a direct message on Instagram or another social media platform. The message claims that you have violated the platform’s copyright terms. You must complete a form immediately, or “your account will be deleted in 24 hours.” Sometimes, the scammer may send you an email that appears to come directly from Instagram. In other variations, the fake message comes from the account you allegedly infringed upon.
One business owner told BBB Scam Tracker about their experience receiving a fake copyright infringement notice on Instagram. “An account messaged me on Instagram and said I had to follow a link to fill out an appeal form because I supposedly violated some copyright. Against my better judgment, I clicked on the link, and it took me to a fake Instagram login page. I messaged the person to ask what happened, and they just kept saying they can’t help me if I don’t fill out the form with the correct login information.”
Another person shared with BBB Scam Tracker that they received a message stating that their Facebook account was suspended because they had broken rules on Instagram. They were notified that they had 180 days to appeal and had to follow a link to login.
If you provide your login credentials, scammers can take over your social media account and impersonate you. They may also try using the same username and password to access other accounts you own. Or they might even send you follow-up messages asking you to verify other accounts, such as your email.
How to avoid social media business scams:
- Stay calm. Whatever you do, don’t panic. Scammers hope you’ll be so concerned about salvaging your social media account you will do whatever they say without thinking. Instead, keep your cool and don’t give in to threats or attempts to intimidate you.
- Verify the “violation.” Look into the claims before taking any action. Log into your account and look for any official notifications. If the scammer claims to represent a specific account or business, look them up and see if they are associated with suspicious activity.
- Get to know the policies of any social media platform you use. If you know how Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms handle copyright violations and disputes, you’ll know immediately if the proper procedure has been followed or if your reading is suspicious.
- Take a closer look at where the messages are coming from. If you receive a direct message, check out the account behind it. If you receive an email, check the form field carefully. If it comes from a random address you don’t recognize, it’s probably a scam. Also, remember that scammers like to use emails that appear to come from an official source but are imitations of real businesses.
- Report suspicious activity. Report accounts practicing suspicious activity to the social media platform where they contacted you.
- Use two-factor authentication. Verifying login attempts with two-factor authentication can help protect your account from getting hacked if you become a target.
For more information
Check out BBB's social media scams page- a new page dedicated to scams found on social channels!
Read our tips for spotting scams in emails and on social media. Find out how to protect yourself from similar cons by reading about phishing scams.
If your business has been the victim of a social media scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker.