Last year we released an article warning users about a popular way people got conned out of their fanpages by the infamous Business Manager scam. Well, we’re refreshing this subject, because over the last twelve months it is still the most popular way fanpage owners lose their properties. This method is still the main tool in the scammer’s toolbox, and it has evolved into different versions. Just so we’re on the same page, a Facebook Business Manager is a tool any Facebook user can use. It lets people share and control access to ad accounts, fanpages, and other Facebook assets. Business Managers can see all of the Pages and ad accounts they work on in one place, without sharing login information or being connected to their coworkers on Facebook. A Business Manager can also request ownership of any page, and if such a request is accepted it is irrevocable, and the new manager will trump the rights of any previous admin.

The image above is just an example of what a real Business Manager request looks like. For the sake of the example we have used LoL as the name of the manager, however, a real scam will use much more elaborate ways to trick you into accepting the invite. Do not fall for it, as if you grant access you will immediately lose control of your fanpage. You will not be protected by the new 7-day admin removal rule. In fact, it is so bad that you won’t be even able to remove yourself. The new admin will have a “Page Owner” tag next to their name, despite the fact that they were just granted access. They will have all the control, and they will have the ability to remove anyone they like with a click of a button.

New Business Manager scams:

Page verification scam. This method uses “Facebook Verification” as the Business Manager name, which makes it look like Facebook wants to verify your page, in order to give you that blue verified badge. Obviously, this is a scam, and this is not how verification badges are awarded, so do not fall for it.

Fake like removal scam. Again, this method uses the Business Manager trick, the only difference is that instead of a Business Manager name you will see “Verify Your FanPage”. There might be an official-looking Facebook logo (usually with a shield) next to the name (in the place of the Facebook flag, as seen in the example above). This method is often accompanied by a message that gets sent to your pages inbox, and it will state that you need to “allow the invite in order to remove fake likes, failure to comply will result in page removal.” This is not true, so just simply remove and report the message and click the “Don’t give Verify Your Page access to my Page”.

Upgrade your account to business manager scam. This is the most popular way admins lose their pages, however, it only works when the scammer knows the address of victims personal profile. The way the scam works is you first receive a message from an official sounding account, something usually related to Facebook staff (FB Staff/Facebook Security/etc…) The message will state that “Your account and fanpage are eligible for a Business Manager upgrade. To accept go to your fanpage Settings, then click Page Roles and accept the request.” Obviously, you shouldn’t do that, but many admins do fall for it because the scammers use this one simple trick to make it look credible. The way it works is before the invite is sent, the con artist will register a Facebook profile with the exact same name as the victim, and even copy their profile photo. When the Business Manager invite is sent to their prey it basically looks like they’re upgrading their own account, since the invite will say:

A business manager wants to access your page.

Business account name: Victim name will be here, along with a photo.

This incredibly simple yet ingenious way of scamming admins is what people fall for the most. However, the last method requires the attacker to know their victims personal account. This is why most fanpage admins have countless “I will give you 100,000 USD for your fanpage, please add me…” messages in their fanpage inbox. Rest assured that you won’t get paid 100k for your page, the scammers simply want to locate your personal account so they can copy the name + photo and try the scam on you. We appeal to all admins to stay vigilant and don’t message untrusted individuals from your personal accounts. The best piece of advice we can give to all fanpage owners is to keep your eyes open, don’t make hasty decisions, and if you aren’t sure about a particular action research it first. You can also contact our support with any questions you may have, we will do our best to answer them promptly. As always, stay safe!