Author Alert: Don't Fall for This Common Scam!
Author Alert: Don't Fall for This Common Scam!
Receiving scary emails from Meta or other sites? Let's discuss...
As a social media manager, part of my job is to check my clients’ various author pages inboxes (I don’t touch personal accounts), particularly on Facebook and Instagram.
For the last year or so, I’ve started seeing these threats (examples below) and have been cleaning out these messages, which look entirely believable and are usually accompanied by the threat of the next apocalypse unless you click on this link!
(Don’t click on the link.)
In actuality, these are scam attempts to hack your accounts, dig into your ad account to grab your credit card or other sensitive information, and often, lock you out of your account.
And because Facebook is, ya know, so customer service friendly, they immediately respond to our queries. NOT.
How To Spot A Scam
THESE ARE ALL FAKE NOTICES screenshotted just over the past month:
Sus. Here’s why:
The ‘request of review’ doesn’t go to a META form or link.
There’s no way there’s been an infringement of their trademark rights. Like, what? I’m sharing books, articles, and visual quotes I make.
The language used: The reply is to ‘Noreply Facebook.’ That’s not even a thing, nor is it spelled correctly. No Reply or No-reply would be grammatically correct. Besides, No Reply means NO REPLY. Sorry for the shouty caps, but this is just so dumb.
Attention to Community Support. These aren’t Communites. These are Pages. So, the warning isn’t even going to the correct module.
These notices typically come in your email but, most often, in your Facebook Page inbox, or both, making them appear more official.
They also typically give you a worrying timeframe: “You have 24 hours to click on this link, or your Page will be terminated.” Threats are scary, and many people feel compelled to act! Don’t be.
Facebook typically communicates with users via email for critical account-related matters, not through inbox notifications on the platform (you may also see a notification from Facebook in your notifications, but again, do your due diligence).
Verify the sender’s email address to ensure it’s an official communication from Facebook.
From Facebook Security: emails about your Facebook (or other Meta products) account will always come from:
fb.com
facebook.com
facebookmail.com
instagram.com
meta.com
metamail.com
support.facebook.com
Take a look at this one. It could be accurate if you used a photo from a professional without copyright permission or attribution. (Use Unsplash.com - fantastic photos, all royalty-free.)
But I don’t, and my clients don’t, so this notice doesn’t apply to them.
The link to keep your account safe and prevent deletion is fishy. Scammers and bad actors online may use phishing techniques to steal your login information or infect your device with malware (via Facebook).
What IS a Legit Notice from Facebook/Meta?
If you’re still not sure if an email is legit, go to Facebook security here and click (see below):
“Confirm that we emailed you
Go to facebook.com/recent_emails/security, or:
Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
Select Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
Select Accounts Center, then Password and Security.
Below Security checks, select Recent emails.
View security emails (such as a request to change your password) from the last year in the main SECURITY tab. View any other emails sent in the last two days in the OTHER EMAILS tab.
Note: If we send an email containing a special link or a security code, we may hide that information in your settings to help protect your Facebook account. You'll need to be able to log into your email account to view it.”
Take a look at this one. It’s on my 83yo mother’s cookbook author page. The only violent or harmful behavior on her account is the use of a knife to cut vegetables.
Is This Just a Meta Problem, Then?
Certainly not. Instagram (another Meta brand) is also inundated with fakes, scammers, phishing, and hackers. What’s even worse are the supposed ‘book influencers’ who send you messages that they’ll make your book a “#1 bestseller for the low, low price of $99.99!”
Sure…
Don’t even get me started on Twitter/X and LinkedIn inbox spam. Learn more here:
Scammers are Everywhere.
General advice when looking at these messages that pop up like weeds, or if you are going to hire someone to help you with your social media or book marketing, or heck, spend money on something:
Never click on a link in an unsolicited email or inbox message. Doing so is an open invitation to stealing your information. If the message looks suspicious, it probably is.
Ask for references and testimonials.
Ask for examples of work.
Don’t panic if you receive one of these messages.
Bad actors try to scam people via telemarketing, emails, ads, and social media inboxes. This scam is particularly fraught for writers who want to connect with other writers, publishing industry folks, and readers who have worked for years to connect with their following.
How To Know Who is Legit?
Reedsy offers a comprehensive marketplace where you can connect with professional book marketers. Each marketer on Reedsy is thoroughly vetted, ensuring top-quality service. You can browse profiles based on genre specialization and marketing expertise, such as email marketing, advertising, and metadata optimization.
This platform is particularly helpful as it includes professionals with experience in both traditional and self-publishing environments, enabling tailored marketing strategies that suit different publishing models. You can start exploring their services on Reedsy’s Marketing Professionals page.Smith Publicity is another robust option, known for its extensive range of services that cater to both authors and publishers. Their offerings include everything from book publicity and digital marketing to author branding. You can learn more about their services on their official website.
For direct book promotion, platforms like BookBub and LitNuts offer targeted promotional services. These can range from featured listings to email marketing campaigns directed at readers who have shown interest in specific genres. BookBub is particularly noted for its ability to handle large-scale promotions through its extensive reader base. Check out more on BookBub’s website.
Each of these resources provides a unique set of tools and services, so choosing the right one will depend on your projects' specific needs.
I hope this post has given you insights into this latest author scam. If you’re not on Facebook/Instagram/Threads—aka, Meta—that’s okay. This is good info for any social media or online platform.
Stay safe out there, and happy writing!
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See you next week, and happy writing!
Fantastic breakdown of these scam/phishing emails. I've had a few clients freak out on getting one... and then still click on one of the links AFTER being told it was a scam. That's how scary these things can be. Pinterest also sends them. A lot of them.
Great info thanks for sharing.