Facebook may feel like a safe place to connect, but scammers are increasingly using its ads, posts, and messages to deceive users. Here’s how cybercriminals are turning your feed into a gateway for fraud and what you can do to stay protected.

When you open Facebook, you might expect birthday alerts, travel snapshots, or quick messages with friends. But behind the familiar blue interface, scammers are working hard to turn social media into a hotbed for fraud.

At Avast, we have seen a sharp increase in scams spreading across platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Many use clever tactics to trick users, steal money, or even hijack identities.

Scams are evolving, but the tricks stay the same

Scams now dominate mobile threats and rank among the top methods for spreading malware. While scammers keep changing how they deliver their attacks, their psychological playbook remains familiar. They aim to:

• Create urgency

• Trigger fear or shame

• Exploit emotional or financial vulnerabilities

• Weaken rational judgment

Social media platforms like Facebook amplify these techniques by giving bad actors wide reach and access to personal data.

The rise of tech support scams on Facebook

Tech support scams used to appear mostly on shady websites or through cold calls. Now, Facebook has become one of the main entry points.

In recent months, Avast researchers have detected a major increase in tech support scam activity. Many attacks begin with a harmless-looking Facebook ad or post that silently redirects you to a site impersonating Facebook Messenger. From there, the scams often:

• Lock your browser to make it appear frozen or infected

• Display fake warnings that urge you to call a support number

• Connect you with someone pretending to be a technician who demands payment

Because it all seems to happen on a trusted platform, users are more likely to believe it. 

Why Facebook is a perfect target for scammers

Facebook’s global audience, precise ad targeting, and interactive features make it a goldmine for scams. Attackers exploit the fact that:

• People use Facebook in casual, distracted moments

• Ads can be tailored by location, interests, and age, which makes them more convincing

• Messenger bots and forms can collect data under the guise of service or rewards

Fake pages and accounts that mimic real organizations make the deception even harder to spot.

Financial frauds, deepfakes, and legal scams

While tech support scams are dangerous, financial scams on Facebook have become even more common. Many use highly realistic visuals such as deepfake videos to build trust.

A typical scam might follow this pattern:

1. An enticing ad such as “Erase your debt now” or “Invest like a billionaire.”

2. A landing page that looks like a news or testimonial site.

3. A request to fill out a form, chat with a “bot,” or call a number.

4. The collection of personal or financial data.

Other scams promise payouts from lawsuits or data breaches, using stolen logos and professional design. Instead of paying you, they often steal your identity or financial details.

Browser hijacking and persistent scam alerts

Some scams now use malicious code that hijacks your browser and continues serving scam content even after you leave the page. They disguise themselves as system notifications or antivirus alerts, which makes them especially persistent and difficult to dismiss.

Fear, sextortion, and social pressure

Other scams rely on fear. Sextortion scams, for example, falsely claim that you were recorded doing something private and threaten to release the video unless you pay. These often start on social media, sometimes through fake accounts or deceptive links.

How to spot a social media scam

Watch for these red flags:

• Offers that sound too good to be true, such as miracle cures or free grants

• Scary warnings about account compromise

• Ads or videos featuring celebrities or news anchors that seem overly polished

• Requests for payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers

• Misspelled URLs or strange domain names

• Aggressive pop-ups that tell you to call tech support

If something feels off, do not click, respond, or call.

What Avast Is doing?

At Avast, we continuously track scam patterns across the web and social platforms. Our security tools help protect users by:

• Blocking scam websites before they load

• Detecting misleading browser redirects

• Identifying scam ads, fake tech support pages, and phishing attempts

• Safeguarding personal and financial information

Awareness is your first line of defense, but combining it with strong security tools adds another layer of protection.

Stay safe: six simple steps

1. Avoid clicking on suspicious ads or messages, even from friends whose accounts may have been compromised.

2. Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

3. Disable push notifications from unfamiliar websites.

4. Double-check URLs before clicking or entering information.

5. Report suspicious content directly to Facebook.

6. Install trusted security software, such as Avast Free Antivirus, to detect scams in real time.

Scammers are always adapting, but you can stay a step ahead by staying informed, cautious, and protected.