Facebook copyright infringement scams

Once in a while my organization receives an email suggesting we are in violation of copyright law and can expect consequences. The majority of these are fake. A real copyright infringement letter is more likely to be sent to an organization's legal department via U.S. mail or a proper courier.

Individual consumers have become targets of this scam. Threatening emails and posts accusing you of copyright violation may very well be fake, so don't panic if you receive one of these. Fear is exactly what the scammers want you to feel. Don't fall for it.

If you receive an accusatory email, remember that scammers create phony emails (and posts) designed to look like they are from Facebook. Sometimes these can be quite convincing, often threatening to deactivate your Facebook account. They may provide you a link for filing an "appeal." As always, do not click unexpected or unknown links. 

Here is just one example:

To view sample copyright infringement scam emails and learn more about this ruse, see https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/10/27/facebook-copyright-violation-tries-to-get-past-2fa-dont-fall-for-it/.

If you receive bothersome messages from Facebook, consult Facebook's online help page at https://www.facebook.com/help/199655413426788/?ref=u2u. Also, you can forward phony Facebook emails to phish@fb.com.