If you’re a small business owner who has a Facebook page, you may have received a message about a copyright infringement or that the page is scheduled for permanent deletion due to an infraction.
First of all, know it’s a scam. The link within the message would lead to a website where users’ credentials can be harvested. It’s a new round of phishing. Several years ago, many Facebook users (as well as website managers) received messages saying your site used a photograph with the copyright held by that person. You could use the photo by clicking a link and paying for it. Another scam.
Companies who use their Facebook pages to promote daily specials, digital ads, or to promote events could be particularly at risk because of their perception about the possible loss of business revenue. For many companies in retail and food service, social media platforms are a vital part of maintaining and developing customer relationships.
There are potentially real copyright infringements that a business might encounter on Facebook. For example, using an artist’s image, music or other works to promote a company or to imply an endorsement is not allowable. In that case, the user of that Facebook account would receive an email or message from Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The notice would typically say that the content had been removed or access to it limited. To be sure if that message really IS from Meta, check it out. If there is any link in the email, use a desktop computer to hover your cursor over it, or if using your phone, press and hold. If the link doesn’t start with a facebook.com URL, it’s not real.
If you did happen to get caught up in a copyright infringement, especially if you’ve made a payment to the scammer or know that your personal information was phished, and want to file a complaint, you can do so at the Internet Crime Complaint Center, https://www.ic3.gov/.
As we investigated this topic further, we even came across online ads from companies saying they can stop Facebook copyright infringement claimants from taking over your page or its content. That in itself also sounds like a scam.
To be safe, follow these recommendations:
- Don’t post images or music that belongs to someone else.
- Don’t click on links that you haven’t verified are real.
- Don’t panic about the messages. You can use the three-dot menu in the notification to access the Manage Activity area, and under Privacy and Support, submit feedback to Facebook. In our uses of that, we have yet to see Facebook respond or notify us about an outcome.
- If you clicked a link or downloaded anything, it’d be good to check for malware and take more extensive precautions.
At Ad House Advertising, we know that Facebook and other social media platforms can be beneficial to a business’ success. If we can be of help, give us a call. We’re happy to help, whether it’s answering a question or in managing social media messaging to your followers. We’ve been serving New Mexico business owners since 2000, before Facebook even launched!