Facebook and Instagram scams

Scammers send emails, texts and links that look like they come from Facebook and Instagram, to take your password, card details or money. Here is how to tell a fake from the real thing, and how to report one so it gets taken down.

Got a Facebook and Instagram message you are not sure about?

Don't click the link in it. Paste the link into ScamX and we'll tell you whether it really goes to Facebook and Instagram.

Check the link

The real Facebook and Instagram addresses

Facebook and Instagram's own sites end in:

  • facebook.com
  • instagram.com
  • meta.com
  • fb.com

Read the address up to the first single slash: it must end with one of these. An extra word, a different ending or a shortened link means it is not Facebook and Instagram, however real the page looks. When in doubt, type the address yourself or use the Facebook and Instagram app.

What fake Facebook and Instagram messages look like

  • Business Manager partner requests containing phishing links, sometimes sent from the real facebookmail.com domain
  • Posts with shocking news that link to a fake Facebook login page
  • Emails saying you must log in to Instagram to read an important message
  • Messages threatening to ban or delete your account

What Facebook and Instagram says

  • Meta will never ask for your username or password by email, or send a password as an attachment.
  • Meta staff will never ask for money, passwords or payment details over chat or email.
  • Some phishing arrives from real Meta addresses, so a genuine-looking sender does not prove a message is safe.

How to report a Facebook and Instagram scam

  1. Tell Facebook and Instagram. Facebook phishing: [email protected]. Or: Emails claiming to be from Instagram: [email protected]. Or: Use Report on the post, profile or message.
  2. Get the fake site taken down. Scan the link: the report names the company hosting it and the registrar of its domain, with a ready-written message for each.
  3. Put a warning in front of everyone else. Report the link to Google Safe Browsing and Microsoft SmartScreen.
  4. If you lost money or shared details, call your bank first, then report it to the police or your national fraud line. Where to report in your country.

Facebook and Instagram's reporting route checked against Facebook and Instagram's own page on 2026-10-10. ScamX is not affiliated with Facebook and Instagram.