WARNING! Do Not Click On Any Sponsored Ads on Facebook / Meta!

Avatar for LucyStephanie
2 years ago (Last updated: 1 year ago)

If you have an ad account in Facebook / Meta, do not just click on any interesting sponsored ads you see. Especially when using your computer, do not click on any ads you see that has a DOWNLOAD button and will go to an external website while logged in your Facebook account. You might fall victim to an ad hack of some sort. It happened to me!!!

DO NOT DOWNLOAD and/or INSTALL ANYTHING TOO!

Do you want to possibly lose more money? Then click on their sponsored ads! For some reason there is some kind of security breach via Facebook ads. You click on one ad and it will bring you to the website. I even watched a video on that site and never purchased anything, I just closed the window afterwards. Next thing I know, yesterday I suddenly got charged P2,500 (approx. $50) for a Facebook ad!

Well I thought that was the remaining balance I needed to pay for so I disregarded it and then I receive the same charge today!!! WTF! That is impossible because all my ads have already ended during the weekend.

I thought it was Facebook who was charging me fraudulently so I reported the charges. And then I found out there is a "hidden" ad campaign running (in my Ad account) which I never created at all!!! Omg. There is a security breach somewhere. They made an ad for the same ad I clicked on!

Be careful on the things you click on the internet. Do not click on anything INTERESTING! Sounds crazy but my goodness this is a terrible experience!!

Look at this!!! I got charged three times already. I would never spend that much money on Facebook advertising, NEVER!

Screenshots from Facebook / Meta Payment details. Approximately $100 worth of charges from a fraudulent ad!!!

As soon as I found out, (I saw another Facebook Page added to my Ad account!) I changed my password immediately and removed the said account! No wonder I was getting charged for something I did not do!!! Good Lord in heaven! I reported the page immediately!

I also had to remove the link between my Facebook / Meta account and the payment method I had on file. Good Lord have mercy on me. Can't even buy anything new for me or anyone and this happens? I got charged on my credit card but it's technically a fraud activity! Not because of Facebook per se but because of their system that got hacked!

How to remove payment method/link? On your mobile app, click on the three lines on the top right. Next, click the gear icon, Payments, Ads Payments and then you can remove it.

Screenshot collage of Facebook / Meta app.

If it does not let you, then if you are using PayPal you can remove the permission for automatic payments on PayPal itself. If Facebook doesn't help you with the refund soon at least you can dispute the charges via PayPal.

Also I had to limit the Ads payment amount and such. Goodness it was like it was bleeding me dry without me knowing where it came from. The amount to be paid was growing every minute that I had to find it, stop it and pull the plug on it! Good thing I was able to find how to stop getting charged! OMG! 😱

This is the first time it has ever happened to me. Normally I do not click on Facebook Sponsored ads at all but it was about a new game from a console game popular when I was a kid.

If you see any Contra Returns related ads on Facebook/Meta, do not click on it. DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE GAME! Or just do not click on any interesting Facebook sponsored ads going to EXTERNAL SITES at all. You never know which of those will suddenly hack into your Facebook account!!!

For those who have ad accounts, double check your ads because it can be "hidden" in plain sight! Check your ad account if there are anything unfamiliar. The fraudulent ad will not show up in your Ad Center, it will only show up in your Ads Manager account.

I reported it to Facebook but look what they responded to me. I already said I got hacked and someone made an unauthorized ad on my Ads Account and this is what they told me!

Screenshot from the email I got from Facebook via Outlook mail.

Can you believe this? I tell them I got hacked and never made that add and they tell me that? What is the use of reporting fraud and hacking if they reply like that?!?

BE WARNED AND BE CAREFUL! Always make sure to check on official and legitimate Facebook Pages before clicking on anything. Do not fall for the expensive scam! REPORTING THIS ISSUE TO FACEBOOK/META IS SUCH A HASSLE. IT IS NOT EASY AT ALL AS THEY WILL KEEP PASSING YOU AROUND AND AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY.

Have you encountered something like this before? Oh I hope I get a refund or reverse charges in 2-3 days since I reported it AGAIN to another department because I cannot and will not pay those amounts in my credit card!!!

XOXO,

@LucyStephanie

P. S. FEB 5, 2022 UPDATE:

As of Feb 2, Facebook/Meta finally sent me a message and confirmed the reversal of charges from the unauthorized ad on my account. HURRAY!!! 🙌💃👏👏👏

* * *

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Comments

That's sad to hear and I'm sorry for that. Di ko alam ano yang meta meta na yan, bat nga ba may pera ka dun sa fb?

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2 years ago

Meta is Facebook, new brand name ng Facebook. Pag may Facebook page ka maga-ads ka rin. So may nakakabit na card or whatever dun kasi required ni Facebook / Meta un. Ngayon ang nangyari mababasa mo dun sa isang article ko na naka-link diyan sa taas.

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2 years ago

Buti nalang di ako nag ffb. Jusme! Talamak yan sa online.

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2 years ago

Buti ka pa d m need magwork online via social media like FB. Hay buhay.

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2 years ago

Meron palang ganun sis? Di ako masyado nagifb eh, more on insta ako. Kakatakot naman tong mga tao ngayon. Masyado nang desperado para magkapera. 🤦‍♀️

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2 years ago

Meron and ang hirap magreport sa FB ipapasa pasa ka kung San ka dapat magreport. Nakakabwisit sila.

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2 years ago

Oh my! Terrible. I never encountered this kasi tamad namN din ako mag open ng mga ads or something sa fb

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2 years ago

Huhu kasi dahil sa epekto ng booster shot di ko napansin basta click n lng ako. Huhuhu.

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2 years ago

Oh no! Good thing you found out immediately and thanks for sharing this, thanks for warning us.

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2 years ago

Yes share the info to others because it might happen to them too.

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2 years ago

Feel sorry for you. Facebook really sucks they should take care of those hidden campaigns.

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2 years ago

I know right? There should be an alert when someone gets added to the ad account! Huhu. :(

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2 years ago

Not me checking if I also have a balance! Whew, lucky I don't have one. This is an eye opener for me, I always click ads that catches my interest. I'll be careful from now on

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2 years ago

True make sure it is going to inside Facebook only. Better to be safe than sorry. Huhu.

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2 years ago

This is hilarious, why would such thing be going on and facebook haven't don't anything about it, I have a friend who complained the same thing too

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2 years ago

Huhu so sad to experience that's why I wrote this as warning to those unaware.

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2 years ago

Its nice of you sharing so others won't fall victim

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2 years ago

Yes otherwise many people will get charged too!!!

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2 years ago

I don't because I don't stay on Facebook that long. I only open my Facebook when I get and I have to get a dose of funny memes and videos. Scammers are also smart nowadays. They also get along well with the technology that they can easily fish on the internet.

I hope you can have a refund. Be careful next time.

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2 years ago

Yeah make sure not to click on any ads that goes to external sites. No matter how interesting it can become the culprit! Huhu.

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2 years ago

OMG, napasilip ako sa fb ko buti wala naman. Di ko naman nakukulikot ung ganyan ko at di ako basta basta naga open ng link omg. Pero ang laki ng amount na yan ha goodness

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2 years ago

Buti na lang wala sa'yo sis. Nagulat na lang ako di ko ineexpect kasi legit naman itsura ng game site. Yun pala may nangyaring kababalaghan!!!

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2 years ago

Thank you for making this article. Bigla tuloy ako naparanoid sa aking fb account. di ko na masyado gamay ung ibang features dahil matagal din akong nawala doon..

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2 years ago

Huhu mahirap na magaya kayo sa akin. Dun kayo madadali sa hilig nyo. Pag interesting sa inyo ki-click nyo rin ad di ba? Ayun nadali ako siguro kasi nagpunta ng external site. huhu.

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2 years ago

Yess po ganun ako minsan pero aun nga pagka check ko naman kanina okay naman sis. Siguro dapat taalga be careful ss mga pinipindot saka wag iiwan sa mga bata na naka open.

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2 years ago

Things are very scary these days.. You are smart to realize it.. one of my friends lost so much money by one of these scams

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2 years ago

Huhu I know right? Same thing happened to your friend? Did she see/find the fraudulent ads?

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2 years ago

It did not happen to her exactly but one of her friends sent her a message in her messenger, at least she thought it was him and clicked on it beore realizing anything and her system got hacked immediately... I said it is scary because many would click the link thinking it is from a friend..

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2 years ago

Ah that is the one thru messenger. Mine is thru Facebook ads. huhu.

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2 years ago

Wtf? Ang laki ng halaga nyan ate ah, pero nakita mo yung page o kung ano man grouo eon? Kaya takot ako pumindot ng kahit anong links kasi ganyan e

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2 years ago

Oo ung FB page Tech something... Basta na lang naka-add sa acct ko. Pero dinelete ko na agad nung nakita ko. Juskolord.

Facebook sponsored ad mismo yung dumali sa akin. E ako mismo gumagawa ng Facebook ads tapos pag clinick no yung ad ng iba pala to go to external website doon ka madadali! My gad! Huhu. Wag na wag na kayo mgclick ng Facebook ads na external website and punta.

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2 years ago

Takot ako magclock kahit sang website not until need ko talaga. Lalo na if sa investment sites. Sinesearch ko if legit ba o ano saka sa mga give away sites, delikado lalo na yubg iba required rin ng credit card;-;

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2 years ago

Actually it looks like a normal site lang hindi mukhang scam site tlga. Mukhang legit, yun pala fake nga siguro kasi nakapasok sa acct ko mismo. Gumawa pa ng same ad na clinick ko. Huhu.

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2 years ago

Oh no! Good thing you caught it before it got worse. Just when we thought it will not happen to us that such things unfortunately hit us. We really have to be vigilant these days for these scammers are getting smarter.

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2 years ago

Huhu super tlga. Maingat ako sa pagclick ng anything. Imagine it was a Facebook sponsored ad tapos ganun!!! Juskolord.

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2 years ago

Ouch! and Triple ouch! So, another ad is riding piggyback on your ad! If this happened to you then, it probably happened to other advertisers. Maybe some advertisers with deeper pockets simply did not notice this or ignored it. $50 could be a small change for them.
The biggest lesson here is, never run a paid ad on Facebook!

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2 years ago

Huhu yun na nga po problema. If iba sigurong acct they will not notice lalo if corporate accts that pay big tlga. But yes I cannot pay that amount especially I am jobless where will I get the money huhu. Even if I have money to pay for it I will not do so because I never even made that ad at all!!!

Actually I stopped running ads since last year. Just thought I would do two ads this month lang ulit. Boom bigla naman this happened. 😭

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2 years ago

Things are really happening. Scammers are innovating their ways of scam as the day goes by. That's a very huge money you paid when you didn't use the service. So bad

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2 years ago

Exactly! I cannot pay that big an amount, no way because I didn't even make the ad they put on my account. Huhu. My ad history will show them how I use my account. Hopefully they will refund me the money charged. Good God if they give me Facebook credits how will I even encash that to pay for the credit card fees? I will have to report those to my credit card bank as fraudulent charges!!!

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2 years ago

Omg,this is crazy😳I never used the Facebook ad option before but now this is some real deal 💔I know of scams on Facebook but never knew somehow an account can be added to your own account 😳but well it's the internet, anything is possible 🤧but I'm glad you're safe from UNKNOWN CHARGES now🥂

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2 years ago

I also didn't know abt it. Never thought it was possible until it happened! Goodness gracious!!!

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2 years ago

Well I'm glad it's over now

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2 years ago

It's not over yet until I get a refund!

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2 years ago

Ooh💔😳have you laid a complain or sent an email

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2 years ago

Yes I did. Huhuhu. Praying they refund me some money or reverse the charge on my card.

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2 years ago

I pray they do too🙇

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2 years ago