Transcript
Alright, Jenny.
You've experienced something that a lot of people using Facebook ads are going to be experiencing.
When you first start running ads, everybody almost everybody that I know immediately starts getting scan and spam messages into their into their Facebook business email as well as, you know, Facebook business direct message, you know, inbox as well as their email.
Sometimes.
And Jenny, I want you to tell your story and so that everyone can be aware of what they look for and what happens afterwards.
Yep.
And, you know, it was the typical thing.
Well, we did an ad, and I have done ads in the past been a long time ago.
So I think it was the unusual activity that kind of threw me off.
We set up the ad together and put a limit of €6 on it.
So, you know, and then a couple of days ago a later no.
Or yeah.
A couple of days later, and it was, of course, the weekend.
I started getting several messages in my in my messenger inbox, the the business 1 saying, you know, dear, comma, and then saying, you know, we have noticed unusual activity.
Your account is gonna be closed down.
And I normally, I'm quite aware of these things, and I but I started panicking, oh, maybe it was something because I've just made an ad and everything.
And after several of them, I clicked on something.
I didn't give them any personal or, you know, or or data or anything.
But then at the weekend, I got a whole bunch of emails.
Basically, they've taken out 8 payments one off to the other in the space of a couple of hours.
And And to be clear, what what happened was just to when you click on the link, you don't remember that you put in your username and password.
Somehow And a thing like that, no.
Somehow, by clicking on the link.
I I and I wonder also if it was an attachment they give you, so it could have been in something installed on your computer.
Possible.
Anyway, so so you you clicked on something and, you know, within a few days, they had taken out ads Multiple Multiple ads for their own business on your account.
Yeah.
And it was a 100 of dollars 100 of euros or whatever.
Yeah.
It came to about a bit total.
It came to 312, and there was one final one, which was gonna be another €140, which got declined.
Now I don't know because I was paying through PayPal.
Yes.
Anyway, so I I talked to my bank who it hadn't come through.
Now this is what happened.
The whole thing is so bizarre.
In the end, only one of those payments, actually, I paid that was the one for €9.
Anyway, in the meantime, I talked to PayPal.
They were very helpful.
PayPal was very helpful to you.
Yeah.
Which is yeah.
I had a local number.
I talked to someone.
He was absolutely great.
He started saying, well, it's not actually very much money and they and I said, well, what?
It is for me sort of thing.
So so then he was really he said, well, wait a second.
And he looked to my camera.
I've been with them for a long time.
So he came back and said, well, as a sign of good faith and we're not, you know, it it's not us.
It's we really have to talk to Facebook.
We're gonna return you the money.
So they did.
They they refunded me about 312.
So I was happy.
And a week later, I got an email from Facebook saying, oh, you've been scammed.
I thought, yeah, I could I did tell you that.
And they then also returned all the money.
So I am now €501 in the red.
Yay.
I'm in the black.
I mean, so I've ended up with more money than before, so which is very nice.
Why is that?
Why why why more money?
Said to me, don't I said, what if Facebook refunds mean the money?
Should I give you this 312 back?
And they said, no.
Double.
That's They they they said it's gonna take us more money to process.
Probably bad than than than Rusty ceiving a the big corporations for them, 305 or a $1000.
Oh, that's nothing.
Yeah.
And that's nothing.
It's Yeah.
It's like it take it takes it takes some $500 just to process the claim.
You know what I say?
Yeah.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Exactly.
So, you know, good.
Great.
And then Facebook could pay me back, but also money that paid me back So you actually found it in a reasonable way.
So yeah.
My husband's So it you you went to get this every month.
Yeah.
So so, hello, everybody.
We we found a reverse Facebook scam that seems to work.
No.
Don't don't don't Anyway, they know.
So Yeah.
Yeah.
So the main, you know, note to self do not click on any links.
Do not panic as well because I'm still getting these message is.
Right.
And now I'm just there's a a little thing which just says reporter scam.
So I'm just doing that and ignoring You don't even have to report a scam.
I just wanna let you know because I've been getting them about 10 to 15 a day every day.
You know, some days are low and only getting 3 to 5.
But it's multiple per day for now 6 months, 9 months, I don't I can't recall now because I've dealt with it for so long, maybe even longer.
But it it it hap it started happening in 2023.
Like, on mass Oh, no.
For for for just about everybody.
I mean, I I mean, right now, in fact, I can go to my I can go to my Facebook inbox and and show you real quick.
You know?
This is this is Basically.
And and I I'm I'm religious about clearing them.
And that's what I mean, this is this is scam again, look at this.
Hello, I wanna buy this shown in the photo.
It's a zip file.
So that's what my concern is sometimes sometimes it's a link and sometimes it's a it's a it's a download.
And you can open the download and install something on your computer and then take your password and all that stuff.
You gotta be really careful about about any files.
I mean, this this is Usually, they come across with this kind of icon.
Yes.
But sometimes it's a real person's icon or a fake person.
I don't know.
AI generated.
We we know these days.
Mhmm.
But yeah.
And then sometimes the the icon is blank Yeah.
Because they've already caught that account So that's why they've already canceled the account.
That's why the account is blank, and it says Facebook user.
But I've gotten tired of because if I had to if I had to block them, I have to click several times.
I think This one Yeah.
And not the click box.
Just spam.
Yeah.
Too much work.
I just I just checked the box now.
I just checked the box.
And so what where does it go from?
The books.
It just goes into archive.
It just goes into volumes because it's, like, it's not it's not worth our time.
To because I I I tell you, I've been I was I was very, you know, very good boy, clicking spam for each each of them for hundreds of times.
And it never it never goes away.
It just keeps coming back.
And so I'm like, why why am I let me save myself that extra click because I have to do this twelve times a day.
So anyway, but but long story short, I I wanna get back to the finally, are you able to run ads now?
Yes.
Because the other thing that was there was you still owe €283.
Which the so I was you know, you had to set up your payment system because you still owe us 293.
And that didn't go away until Facebook then said oh, you've been scammed with you know?
So they they asked me to put in a new password, and I did that.
Well, I'd already done that.
I changed both PayPal and Facebook passwords.
So So now I'm back to I think I'm, you know, Kosher now.
Okay.
I think it's status quo, and you can try, George.
But I I and, you know, the one that we set up, I don't think I think it ran they I don't know if it even ran.
So Yeah.
And the scammers took over at that point.
But Yeah.
But, yeah, I'm so glad.
This is a I mean, I'm first of all, I'm sorry you had to go through that and secondly.
Well, I I I honestly, I rarely hear good stories of what happens afterwards, which is why I wanted to report it.
You know, I wouldn't have to put it.
That's right.
You have you have to tap into.
And and so I think that the key I I don't know.
I mean, I I feel like maybe the keys are that you went through PayPal.
So maybe PayPal.
Who knows?
Maybe PayPal did something on their end that alerted Facebook.
That may have helped.
And So thank you for sharing with us, and I'm glad you're able to run the house again.
Yes.
Thank you.
Yeah.
If scammed, try these instructions...
Updated Dec 7, 2023
A hopeful story (see video above).
If you have tips for what worked for you to get your account reinstated, comment below.
This is what worked for Jenny (featured in the video above) and may work for you --
1. Contact your payment processor right away (e.g. paypal or credit card company).
2. That should alert FB that there was a fraudulent charge, which then triggers FB to contact you that your account was scammed.
3. Then follow their instructions to reverse the charges and get your Ad account reinstated...
If you believe your Facebook account as a whole (not just your Advertising account) was hacked, go here:
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