Business Owner Targeted by Scammers After Unjust Social Media Ban
Molly Kelly, a Perth-based spray tan business owner, recently experienced significant distress as both her personal and business accounts on Instagram and Facebook were mistakenly suspended by Meta, the parent company of these platforms. This incident left her in a state of anxiety, causing her to lose sleep and appetite, and exacerbated her stress as she tried to navigate the fallout.
On 6 July, Kelly discovered her accounts had been suspended without prior warning, a move she found shocking given the years of effort she had put into developing her social media presence. The notification from Meta cited violations of community guidelines related to sensitive content, claims that made Kelly feel "sick" as she maintains her accounts showcase only fully clothed adult women.
Despite promptly appealing the suspension, Kelly received an email just two hours later stating her appeal had been denied and her account would be permanently disabled. In her desperation to regain control over her accounts, Kelly turned to TikTok to share her plight, leading her to receive numerous offers from third-party individuals claiming they could assist in recovering her profiles.
While some of these offers appeared legitimate, Kelly found herself in a vulnerable position, making her easily susceptible to scams. She engaged with three separate individuals who promised to help. One such scammer convinced her to pay $110, claiming he was affiliated with Meta. After initial engagement, he requested additional money under the pretense of needing to obtain a “software code” to recover her accounts, which raised her suspicions.
Realising she had likely been scammed, Kelly ceased communications with the person, but not before he threatened to permanently delete her accounts. This realisation prompted her to assess the situation further, as she found herself out-of-pocket by $300 to another scammer and an additional $210 to a third individual, each with similar false promises of account restoration.
Kelly is not alone in her experience; fellow business owner Kellie Johnson, who had also seen her accounts suspended, regrettably encountered similar fraud attempts. After considering engaging with the scammers, she opted for a more prudent approach by consulting ChatGPT, which advised her against proceeding.
According to IDCARE’s Kathy Sundstrom, the vulnerability faced by small business owners is a common tactic being exploited by scammers. Sundstrom explains that these fraudsters often reach out to victims by claiming to assist in the recovery process, leading individuals to unknowingly share their login credentials or click malicious links.
Sundstrom’s insights indicate that a significant number of social media account compromises have been reported, with IDCARE assisting over 3,600 instances of account lockouts and around 1,900 unauthorised access cases just within a year.
Fortunately for Kelly, after enduring 16 days of uncertainty, her accounts were eventually restored. However, the experience left a profound impact on her, both emotionally and financially. She expressed concern over her dwindling spray tanning appointments and the necessity of seeking alternative work while juggling rent and mortgage obligations, compounded by the rising cost of living.
Despite reporting the scammers to relevant platforms, Kelly continues receiving scam messages, highlighting her frustration with the ease at which scammers exploit vulnerabilities within the social media landscape. She voiced her exasperation over legitimate businesses facing account suspensions, while fraudsters manage to escape without repercussions.
For those affected by similar scams, Sundstrom emphasises the importance of reporting incidents to IDCARE for assistance in navigating the fallout and safeguarding against future threats.
In an age where social media plays a pivotal role in business, the stakes are particularly high for entrepreneurs. Ensuring security protocols and remaining sceptical of unsolicited offers is critical in navigating this complex digital landscape.
