There have been a flurry of fake messages containing malicious links being sent to Facebook Business pages via Messenger currently.  Here’s what to look out for and how to stay vigilant.

What do these messages look like?

If your Facebook business page receives a message via messenger, check who it is from before you click any links.  You may receive messages from accounts like “Facebook user” or “Meta” or an account that seems to be imitating a real person.  Our clients have received the following types of messages:

Facebook user: We’d like to share an important announcement regarding content posted on your fanpage. We’ve noticed that some recent posts may not comply with our content standards and regulations.

We want to remind you that Facebook has clear guidelines on posting content that is accurate, interesting, and respectful. Inappropriate content can have a negative impact on how your fanpage is perceived by your followers and can potentially lead to deletion or restricted access.

We strongly recommend that you review your fanpage content and ensure that all posts comply with our community policies. This not only safeguards the integrity of your fanpage but also ensures that you can continue to engage and foster a positive community. Below is a collection of the infringing posts and images that we have identified.

With a link to a document

Facebook user: Hellо [Business Name],
Your Business Page Has Been Disabled.
We are constantly updating our Meta Privacy Policy and Terms of Service We have temporarily suspended your page because someone told us that you violated our terms and conditions of service.
View details here: With a link to a document

Facebook user: Hi [Business Name]
Р‌‌‌l‌‌‌e‌‌‌а‌‌‌ѕ‌‌‌e‌‌‌ R‌‌‌e‌‌‌v‌‌‌i‌‌‌e‌‌‌w‌‌‌ Υ‌‌‌о‌‌‌u‌‌‌r‌‌‌ А‌‌‌с‌‌‌с‌‌‌о‌‌‌u‌‌‌n‌‌‌t‌‌‌ -‌‌‌ Υ‌‌‌о‌‌‌u‌‌‌r‌‌‌ P‌‌‌а‌‌‌ɡ‌‌‌e‌‌‌ H‌‌‌а‌‌‌ѕ‌‌‌ B‌‌‌e‌‌‌e‌‌‌n‌‌‌ D‌‌‌i‌‌‌ѕ‌‌‌а‌‌‌b‌‌‌l‌‌‌e‌‌‌d‌‌‌‌
A‌c‌c‌o‌u‌n‌t‌ C‌o‌n‌f‌i‌r‌m‌a‌t‌i‌o‌n‌ :‌ ‌ link
C‌‌‌o‌‌‌n‌‌‌f‌‌‌i‌‌‌r‌‌‌m‌‌‌ y‌‌‌o‌‌‌u‌‌‌r‌‌‌ a‌‌‌c‌‌‌c‌‌‌o‌‌‌u‌‌‌n‌‌‌t‌‌‌ w‌i‌t‌h‌i‌n‌ t‌h‌e‌ n‌e‌x‌t‌ 2‌4‌ h‌o‌u‌r‌s‌ o‌t‌h‌e‌r‌w‌i‌s‌e‌ o‌u‌r‌ y‌o‌u‌r‌ P‌a‌g‌e‌ m‌a‌y‌ b‌e‌ p‌e‌r‌m‌a‌n‌e‌n‌t‌l‌y‌ d‌i‌s‌a‌b‌l‌e‌d‌.‌ ‌ ‌

Facebook User: Y‌o‌u‌r‌ P‌a‌g‌e‌ H‌a‌s‌ B‌e‌e‌n‌ D‌i‌s‌a‌b‌l‌e‌d‌.‌
I.N.C. International Concepts has reported that your article:
1. Using someone else’s fake name/photo.
2. Share content that misleads other users.
We’ve warned in the past that if you continue to post content on your Page that infringes someone else’s intellectual property rights, your Page will be disabled.
If you believe this is an error in our system, please verify your account at the link below.
Account Confirmation: link

Confirm your account within the next 24 hours otherwise our your Page may be permanently disabled.
M‌e‌t‌a‌ S‌e‌c‌u‌r‌i‌t‌y‌ T‌e‌a‌m‌.‌

Facebook user: The party you sent has a problem or error, the goods are not as advertised.

I have returned to the product video, The goods are too poor quality, ask your side to watch the video and give feedback.

With a video link to download

Facebook user: The item you sent to me is defective, the item is not as advertised.

I have re-recorded the video, the goods are too poor quality, ask you to return the goods.

With a video link to download

What can you do?

Annoyingly, very little at the moment.  The majority of the messages we have seen have been sent from a user who doesn’t have a contact card.  In messenger you will see info from Facebook like:

Your Page can no longer see this person’s profile information.

And

You are no longer able to send messages to this person. 

So, in this instance all you can do is notify anyone who has access to the business page and alert them to these messages and request they don’t click on any links.  If they are unsure then they should check with you.  You should then move the message to spam or even delete it.

Are there ways to report these messages to Meta?

We’ve not found a way to report these messages yet but according to the Facebook Help Centre, you should be able to report the conversation by following these instructions.

We’ll be monitoring the situation.  We want you to stay safe.  If you don’t have time to manage your own business’s social media then do get in touch to find out how Red Desk Virtual can assist: mel@reddesk.co.uk