My Scam Story by Jahzinta Clarke, Founder, Adjacent Career Coaching
The Night I Nearly Lost My Business to a Facebook Scam
"Running a business is never easy, but I never expected that something as simple as managing a Facebook page for Adjacent Career Coaching would end up being one of the hardest parts.
When I first launched the business, I created a standalone Facebook account just for the page. Meta later deactivated that account without warning. I later learned that Facebook prefers business pages to be linked to a personal profile, something I had no idea about when starting out.
So, I linked my new business page to my personal profile and continued building. A few months in, I decided to run a Facebook ad for my free LinkedIn course. It was going well until I received a message through my business login claiming my account had been reported and was going to be deactivated by Meta.
My first thought was, “What for?” My content is helpful, positive, and inoffensive. But instead of stepping back and assessing the situation, I panicked.
I didn’t want to go through the stress of trying to set up yet another account. So, I clicked the link. The page it took me to looked exactly like Meta’s login page. I entered my password… nothing happened. I tried again. And again. Frustration set in.
I moved to my laptop to figure out what was going on. That’s when my browser flagged the site as unsafe and my stomach dropped. I’d been scammed.
My mind switched into crisis mode. I checked my accounts and saw that an ad had already been launched, designed to charge my card and steal funds. Luckily, I was able to:
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Change all my passwords
- Regain control over my accounts
All of this unfolded in under an hour. I was extremely lucky. Only a few dollars were taken before Meta flagged the suspicious activity and locked my ad account.
I pride myself on being able to spot a scam. But because my business was something I’ve poured my heart into and was on the line, I ignored all the red flags and acted emotionally.
So here’s what I want other business owners to know:
Meta will never send you direct messages or emails with links. They communicate through notifications within your account. If you get a DM claiming otherwise, don’t click it.
You’ve worked too hard to build something meaningful. Don’t let a scam take it away in a moment of panic."