Wills Week is a time to think about protecting what matters, from the legacy we leave behind to the financial decisions we make today. But as more of our financial lives move online, protecting that legacy also means knowing how to navigate digital spaces safely. Scammers can impersonate banks, insurers, financial advisers and other trusted institutions, creating convincing profiles and messages designed to make people hand over personal information or money. The good news?
Meta has tools and advice that can help you make more informed decisions before you engage. Look for the signals When interacting with a financial institution on Facebook or Instagram, look for indicators that can help establish whether an account is authentic. A verified account can help identify an account that has been authenticated by Meta, but a verification badge alone is not proof that an account is legitimate. If an account looks suspicious or doesn’t match the institution’s usual online presence, take a step back and verify it through the institution’s official app or website before sharing information, clicking links or making any payments.
Let Meta help you manage unwanted interactions Not every message or account deserves your attention. Features such as Restrict and Block give people greater control over who can interact with them, while Hidden Words can help filter unwanted comments and message requests. Privacy Checkup can also help you review who can see your information, contact you or find you across Meta platforms. These tools can be particularly useful when dealing with unsolicited messages or suspicious approaches.
Report what doesn’t look right Think you’ve found an account impersonating a bank, insurer or other organisation? Meta’s Report tools allow people to flag suspicious accounts, content and interactions. Reporting potentially fraudulent activity can help Meta identify and take action against accounts that violate its policies.
Take an extra moment before you trust Meta’s safety tools are there to help, but staying safe online also starts with our own habits. If a financial institution contacts you unexpectedly, don’t click on links or share sensitive information immediately.
Instead, contact the organisation through an official website, app or trusted phone number to confirm the request. For more information on staying safe or to report a scam, visit Meta’s Scam Protection Center, A consumer education hub on meta.com that explains how common scams work (investment schemes, romance scams, impersonation of celebrities and brands, job offers, phishing links) and how to spot the warning signs.
During Wills Week, protecting your legacy means thinking beyond what you leave behind. It also means protecting the information, accounts and digital spaces that help you build and manage it today
