How to Outsmart Spammers & Scammers

In this day and age, there are more spam messages and scams than ever before. That’s why it’s important for small business owners to be alert and on guard, especially with online business listings like your Google Business Profile, Facebook business page, Instagram profile, and more.

We’ll show you how to proactively identify and avoid spam where possible, and what steps to take if you get a call, email, link, or message that seems suspicious.

General Tips to Spot Spam

Although every online platform is different, there are general characteristics you can look for when you’re trying to decipher if something is spam or not.

1. Check for a Suspicious Profile Photo & Name
   In general, if a social media profile or page has a suspicious looking profile picture and/or name, it isn’t a legitimate account. However, some scammers have gotten very good at looking like “the real deal,” so always proceed with caution when interacting with other profiles.
2. Check for Sketchy URLs
   If you suspect a message might be spam, look at the URLs in the message. If they contain random letters and numbers, chances are that it’s a spam message. Anything coming from a legitimate source should have a normal URL that matches the website name. For example, if you get a message from Google, any links in that message would start with “google.com.” On the flip side, a message from google123xyz.com/security should grab your attention that something is off.
3. Check for Grammar & Punctuation Issues
   Oftentimes, scammers will use poor grammar and punctuation in their messages. If you notice several typos and grammatical errors, that’s a sign that a message could be a scam. For example, we’ve noticed that many scam messages we receive don’t capitalize the letter “i” when used as a pronoun. They often read like this: “i want to know if you can help me with a project. i also kindly want to know if you accept credit card payment.” When we see those messages come through, we immediately identify them as spam.
4. Check for Robotic Text
   Unfortunately, as AI becomes more mainstream, scammers’ grammar will likely improve as well. For the scammers using AI, you’ll want to watch for content that looks too perfect, formal, or like it was written by a machine. Here’s an example of what that might look like: “Hello and good morning. I would like to inquire about using your services for a project. Please kindly let me know if you accept credit card payment.”

TIP: Any time the words “credit card” come up in an email, message, or phone call from someone you don’t know, that should be a big red flag. We’ve noticed many scammers are not even asking for our credit card information right up front. Instead, they ask if they can pay us with a credit card. Nonetheless, we’ve found this to be a telltale sign of a scammer.

Your Google Business Profile
How to Avoid Google Business Profile Scams

Many small businesses are getting robocall scams from their Google Business Profiles. These calls are disguised as official communications from Google. If you get a call asking you to pay for listing verification, hang up right away! These types of calls are always scams.

If you receive a call from someone who wants you to pay to fix an issue with your Google Business Profile, you can be confident it is a scam. These scam calls can take a variety of forms. Here are some keywords to listen for:

• Your listing needs to be verified.
• Your listing has been flagged for review.
• Your listing may be suspended.
• We will help you for a fee.

Any of the above statements are a clear indication that you’re not receiving a legitimate call from Google. If you get a suspicious call regarding your Google Business Profile, you can report it to the Federal Communications Commission.

Your Facebook Business Page
How to Avoid Spam on Facebook

You’ve probably heard the saying “the best defense is a good offense.” That should be your mindset when protecting online business profiles like your Facebook page. There are a few simple, proactive things you can do to protect your Facebook business page from scammers. This article from Facebook goes into greater detail, but because we know you’re a busy small business owner, we’ve summarized the highlights for you:

• Use two-factor authentication to make your Facebook account more secure.
• Don’t reuse your password on multiple websites.
• Use antivirus software like Norton, and keep it updated.
• Turn on business notifications, so you’ll be aware of unexpected changes regarding your account such as a new password request or a request to change the email address associated with your account.

Examples of Spam on Facebook

Unfortunately, even if you take all the precautions to avoid spam, sometimes it is inevitable. Here are some examples of common Facebook spam messages: