Always on the cutting edge of social engineering, hackers have found a new tactic to get victims to let them right into their accounts. The Facebook podcast scam has left many Facebook users without any access to their Meta business assets, such as Facebook pages and business portfolios. This is particularly damaging when considering how many people rely on Meta business for income. We’ll detail what this podcast scam looks like and how you can avoid it.
What is the Facebook Podcast Scam?
Hackers have been targeting Facebook users and business pages with large followings with this scam. Once they find a suitable target, they reach out via email, Facebook messenger, or sometimes even with a phone call and ask them if they would like to be featured on their podcast. The podcast “host” is usually a real person who has no idea they’re being misrepresented. Most often the scammers will offer a substantial payment to be a guest.
From here, they will set up a preliminary Zoom or Teams call to make sure you are all set to record the podcast. They will often claim that your account is not set up for Facebook livestream, then ask you to join a Zoom call to fix it.
The hackers will then ask you to share your screen and give them remote control. Then they will guide you to log into your Meta business suite, where you will see a request, usually from a user named “online events,” or something similar. As soon as the request is accepted, the hackers have gotten what they want.
Instead of allowing permissions to record a podcast, what you’ve actually done is grant the hackers full access into your Facebook business portfolio.
What Happens Once They’re in?
Once a hacker controls a Meta business portfolio, the first thing they will do is demote you or remove you from it altogether. This will leave you helpless to remove them or revert any changes they will make.
From there, the hackers will have full control of everything in your business portfolio. This includes Facebook business pages, ad accounts, Instagram accounts, and more.
Even if you’re still a full admin on your Facebook business page, you can be removed at any time by whoever controls the business portfolio, which ultimately controls the business page.
At this point, hackers can do various different things. Some will repurpose your business pages to try to scam your following. Some will use your ad account to run ads for fraudulent products. Some won’t do much for a while, as they’re trying to sell your assets to someone who will. If your page is monetized, they will try to make themselves the receiver of the payouts.
And if your credit card is still attached to your ad account, you might find yourself with a disabled ad account and a heap of charges from the hacker:
Either way, once the hacker has full control of your business accounts, they will have effectively cut you off from any and all monetary gain you previously saw from them. Trying to recover a business asset from Facebook can be an arduous process.
How to Protect Yourself
To protect yourself from the Facebook podcast scam, and other similar scams, you must always be vigilant when dealing with people online.
If someone is claiming to be someone, whether a podcast employee or even a Facebook employee, do your due diligence and verify their existence in the real world.
Get proficient in spotting scam emails.
Be sure to set up two-factor authentication for all sensitive online accounts.
And if you’d like personal assistance, please order help at Hacked.com today.
Featured image by Midjourney & Aaron Weaver.