Social Media and Copyright Scams

Top 4 Social Media and Copyright Scams

Cybercriminals don’t go on vacation. They are constantly attempting to steal your personal information. We have compiled a list of the top current scams involving social media:

Social Media Scam 1:

An effective scam involves your social media account login information. Scammers send emails that falsely claim your Facebook page violates copyright laws. These emails are particularly convincing because they appear to come from a legitimate sender and even contain Facebook’s official logo. The email urges you to log in to Facebook immediately to appeal the decision or risk losing access to your account’s features. Clicking the button in the email directs you to a fake Facebook support page controlled by cybercriminals, where you are prompted to provide your login information for an “account review”. The truth is that your Facebook page has not violated any copyright laws, and entering your credentials on this fake page will result in them being stolen.

Social Media Scam 2:

Scammers also send DMs or tag users in posts saying their content violated copyright laws and their account will be suspended unless they appeal. The message includes a link to a fake “appeal” form, which is a phishing page to steal your login credentials. For example: “Your account will be disabled due to copyright infringement. If you think this is a mistake, fill out the form at [scam-link.com]. You have 24 hours.”

You can completely avoid it by:

• Not clicking on suspicious links, especially from unofficial accounts.
• Check if the message comes from a verified platform (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
• Go to your account settings and check for alerts directly from the platform, not through messages or comments.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).

Social Media Scam 3:

Someone messages you claiming your photos or videos were stolen and used on another account or website. The message includes a link to view them, but it’s a phishing link or malware.

You can completely avoid it by:

• Hovering over or inspect links before clicking — or better yet, don’t click at all.
• Googling part of the message to see if it’s a known scam.
• Use official apps instead of third-party sites to manage your social media.

Social Media Scam 4:

Scammers create pages that look like Facebook or Meta Support and message people claiming their page or account has violated policies. They might even comment on your posts or ads, warning others, too. “Your page is scheduled for permanent removal due to policy violations. If this is a mistake, appeal now: [fake-support-link]”.

You can completely avoid it by:

Knowing that Meta/Facebook doesn’t DM users directly for copyright claims — they notify you within the platform’s support inbox. Verifying profiles. A real Facebook or Meta account will be verified with a blue or gray checkmark. Reporting the impersonator account immediately.

Here are some things to look for:

• Be cautious about reading unusual emails, even if they appear to be from a legitimate email address. Facebook won’t send you emails threatening immediate action.
• Log in to Facebook through its official website or mobile app to check your account’s status. Avoid clicking any links in an email claiming to be from Facebook.
• Always check logos and spelling in emails claiming to be from Facebook. While this scam uses fake logos and misspelled words, AI advancements reduce those clues in the very near future.

Any social media platform can be impacted. So be proactive and protect your personal information from this and all phishing scams.

Here are Some Tips to Stay Scam-Free on Social Media:

Enable 2FA on every platform — this gives you extra protection even if someone gets your password.

• Use strong, unique passwords for each platform (and consider a password manager).
• Scammers often use fear and time pressure to get quick reactions. Take all the time you need.
• Double-check URLs. Look for minor typos in domain names (like “Facebook” or “Instagram”).
• Report scams to the platform so others don’t fall for them, too.