Spam messages on Facebook: how to recognize them and how to protect yourself?

In its 20 years of existence, the world's most popular social network, Facebook, has changed in many ways.

With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook is an attractive target for effective advertising for businesses of all sizes.

But unfortunately it is also a field for so-called spammers, scammers and anyone who wants to scam you, steal your account and gain access to your data. And this should not happen.

With the growing popularity of social networks like Facebook, spam messages are becoming an increasingly common problem. They can be both annoying and dangerous, as they often contain malicious links or attempts to scam.

In this article, we'll explain how to recognize annoying spam messages on Facebook and how to protect yourself from them.

What are spam messages on Facebook?

Spam messages are unwanted messages sent en masse to many users. They can have different purposes:

• Advertising products or services - often in the form of aggressive marketing campaigns.
• Phishing - Fraud attempts to collect personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers or other confidential information.
• Malware - messages that contain links to viruses, Trojans or other harmful files.
• Prize scams or sweepstakes - offers of easy winnings that actually aim to lure victims into various fraud schemes.

What types of spam are there on Facebook?

Spam messages

If you have a business page, there's no way you haven't received these Messenger messages, and in huge quantities. Most often they're from someone's already stolen profile or from a page that's supposedly Meta-related - it has a profile picture logo and a name like "Meta Privacy Support" that sounds real at first glance. But it isn't.

These messages usually tell you that your page has broken some rules and will be removed if you don't click on the link below. They even create a sense of urgency by saying you have 24 hours to save your page. Many have probably been burned this way, but we want to make sure you won't be one of them!

Spam posts in the news feed

Users have been complaining that instead of posts from friends and pages they follow lately, their news feed is full of ads and popular posts from pages and groups they don't follow.

This problem becomes even more serious when we add posts shared by bot accounts or generated with AI. The goal - promoting accounts, topics, ideas, filling positions in your news feed.

Spam emails

These are messages that are similar to the first ones, but are sent by email. At first glance, they look real - with a logo, information and even Meta's headquarters address.

When you look at the email address they were sent from, however, you notice that it's not an official one, but a very ordinary Gmail address - something Meta will never use.

How to recognize spam messages on Facebook?

Detecting spam messages can be challenging depending on your experience and level of digital skills. There are a few key indicators that can warn you that you're about to fall into a trap:

1. Unsolicited messages from strangers and pages

If you receive a message from someone you don't know and it contains strange links, invitations to play dubious games or promises of a quick payout, it's probably spam.

If there is indeed a problem with your page, as many of these messages claim, Meta will not send you a message in Messenger, but a notification and an email that you are in violation of certain rules and appropriate action will be taken.

2. Grammatical errors and poorly formatted text

Many spam messages are poorly written, often with spelling and grammatical errors. This happens because many of these messages are automatically translated or mass-created by artificial intelligence with minimal attention to detail.

3. Unexpected offers of prizes or money

If you receive a message promising you easy money, rewards or similar offers, be on your guard. Often these are scams designed to trick you into providing personal information or clicking on harmful links.

4. Unusual links and attachments

Be careful with the links and files you receive in messages. If the link looks suspicious or is not related to anything you expected, don't open it. Also check for strange URLs that look like legitimate websites but have minor name changes.

How to protect yourself from spam messages on Facebook?

Once you recognise spam messages, it's important to take steps to protect yourself from them. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Ignore them!

The best, easiest and most effective solution is to simply do nothing. Don't reply and don't click on the links. If they bother you, delete the messages so you don't get angry when you log into your Inbox.

2. Use privacy settings

Facebook offers a number of privacy management tools. Restrict who can send you messages using the privacy settings. You can restrict messages to friends only or block messages from strangers.

2. Do not share personal information

Never share confidential information such as passwords, bank card details or other sensitive information in messages. Legitimate companies and organizations will never request such information via social media or email.

3. Block and report spammers

Facebook has a spam and abuse reporting feature. If you receive a spam message, use this feature to help prevent future scams.

You can also block the sender to prevent further messages from it. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop attacks because the moment you block one account, the next one appears.

5. Use antivirus software

For extra security, install antivirus software on your device. It can help prevent malware from installing attachments or harmful links.

6. Check the sources of messages

If you receive a message from someone you know but the content seems unusual, contact them through another channel (e.g. phone or email) to make sure their account hasn't been hacked.

7. Share these tips with the people around you

You'd be surprised how many people can't recognise spam messages on social networks. Share this information with them, help them distinguish between fake and malicious communication and take the necessary measures.

What should we do if we are a victim of spam?

If you have accidentally replied to a spam message or clicked on a suspicious link, it is important to take immediate action:

• Change your password - if you think your account has been compromised, change your Facebook password immediately.
• Check for installed apps - make sure there are no suspicious apps installed that may have access to your account.
• Enter two-factor authentication if you haven't already - This is an extra step to protect your account with a code that is generated on your other device.
• Scan your device for viruses.

Spam messages on Facebook are a common problem, but with the right precautions we can successfully protect ourselves from them.

Many complain that the most popular social network is no longer the place it used to be, there is even talk of an outflow of users. In this sense, Meta needs to develop a strategy to deal with the constant spam attacks - otherwise they risk losing users and therefore their huge Facebook advertising revenue.

In the meantime, what you can do is follow our advice. Detecting spam and consistently implementing measures to protect your personal information and account are key to ensuring a safe and enjoyable online experience.