The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce recently had a member reach out, asking about how to secure their Business Page on Facebook after hearing a recent horror story. Apparently, a hacker established a Meta Business profile and found Facebook Business Pages that were unclaimed by a Meta account. In that scenario, the rightful Business Page owners were removed from the page, meaning they couldn’t access their own account. The Page owners were finally able to prove to Facebook and its parent company (Meta), that they were the rightful owners, and their account access was restored.

Unfortunately, being locked out a Business Page is not an isolated occurrence.

Locked Out and Lost Revenue

Take for example the case from Lincoln, Nebraska. In 2022, Hayley Reed, the owner of H.Flynn Designs, experienced a cyberattack that resulted in the loss of her Facebook business page, which she had built over eight years. The incident began when her profile picture was changed to an ISIS flag, and she was promptly locked out of her account. This not only affected her personal profile but also her business page, leading to thousands of dollars in lost sales within just a few days.

Reed attempted multiple avenues to regain access, including contacting Facebook support, spending over $500 on third-party assistance, and even purchasing an Oculus device to leverage Oculus support, but none of these efforts succeeded. Finally, Reed posted an update revealing it took leveraging her network’s personal connections with Facebook employees to address the issue.

Then there’s Keyrenter Chicago Metro, a property management company, whose Facebook business account was hacked. The hackers changed the page name and logo, then they reposted the company’s property rental listings and collected the deposit money from unsuspecting renters. The business owner reported that she was receiving no help from the Facebook support team at the time of the news story.

Even “Techies” Are Targets

Do you think the only potential targets of these hacks are the unwitting small business owner with only a beginner-level understanding of how their social media accounts work? Nope. Even the technically savvy user can be duped.

Take for example the case of Ben Heine, a digital influencer and vlogger, who fell for a request to collaborate on a podcast with a known podcasting platform, except that turned out not be the case. Instead, because he changed settings in his Facebook Business Page to allow collaboration, the “podcasting platform” hijacked his platform and began running their own Facebook ads from his account. After a lot of effort – and I mean a lot – he finally was able to regain control of his page. He claimed he submitted hundreds of support tickets to Facebook until they resolved his case.

Another case: Molly Mahoney, a Facebook Live video expert, experienced a similar lockout, and that scammer racked up $20,000 on ads from her account, reporting only “scant” support from Facebook.

Being Hacked: “Like Waving to a Squatter Outside Your Own Home”

A takeover of your Facebook Business Page feels as if a squatter has taken over your home, and you’re forced to stand outside and wave at them from the sidewalk, begging them to let you back in.

As noted in each of the examples above, Facebook has proven slow to resolve Business Page takeovers, and reclaiming ownership of pages is an onerous and painstaking task.

That’s why the best solution is prevention.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Account Before a Hack

Here are some steps for you to consider taking right now, before you have a major headache on your hands.

#1 – Claim Ownership of Your Business Page in Meta Business Suite. Meta Business Suite is a free tool that helps small business owners manage their presence on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all in one place. It allows you to schedule posts, respond to messages, view analytics, and run ads without having to switch between different apps. Essentially, it streamlines social media management so you can save time, track performance, and engage with customers more easily, but it might also give you a head start in preventing a takeover of your Facebook Business Page.

Yes, you can create and manage a Facebook business page directly from your personal Facebook account without using Meta Business Suite, but as we learned in the first example in this blog, you may be increasing your page’s vulnerability to scams and disputed ownership. Scammers or hackers may create fake Meta Business accounts and claim to be the rightful owner of a Facebook Business Page. Without using Meta Business Suite, you lack access to centralized ownership verification tools, making it easier for malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities.

By using Meta Business Suite, you can:

• Claim and Verify Ownership: Register your business officially to avoid disputes.
• Centralize Security: Manage all admins, roles, and permissions from one secure dashboard.
• Access Enhanced Support: Use dedicated support channels to resolve hacking or fake account issues quickly.

Other preventive measures are essential to enhance your account’s security:

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of security by requiring a verification code in addition to your password.
• Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Create complex passwords and avoid reusing them across different accounts. Regularly update them!
• Assign Multiple Admins: Grant admin permissions to more than one trusted individual to prevent complete loss of access if one account is compromised or if a page admin leaves employment. But remember, granting too many Admins access is like handing out your house keys – be careful who you entrust with them!
• Be Cautious of Phishing Attempts: Stay vigilant against suspicious messages or links that attempt to steal your credentials.