Rockford BBB: Watch Out For Facebook Settlement Scams

You may have noticed that nearly every time you turn around there seems to be a new settlement announcement from a tech company that ran afoul of some rules and regulations. You probably also noticed that the settlements are usually in the tens of millions of dollars or even more.

You're not the only one who's been noticing these things. Scammers are a group of criminals who pay very close attention to what's happening in the news cycle, and often tailor their approaches to scams based on current events.

In case you've forgotten, Facebook (Meta) agreed to a $725 million nationwide class‑action settlement resolving claims that the social‑media platform allowed users’ personal data to be shared with third parties without proper consent or oversight.

Scammers haven't forgotten about this, and they're looking to grab a piece of the action.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Has Issued A Cautionary Alert About The Facebook (Meta) Settlement

Dennis Horton, Senior Director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB):

The  BBB is issuing a cautionary alert to be on the lookout for fake messages, emails, and social media posts promising to speed up payments or claiming victims must verify information to receive their funds. These aren’t big paydays. The average amount of the payments is less than $40.

A legitimate settlement like this in the news can be used as bait to steal money and personal data. Taking advantage of technology, scammers can pose as Facebook representatives, law firms, or government agencies that might be connected to the case. A red flag is messages urging you to click on links within the message that lead to phishing sites designed to collect Social Security numbers, banking details, or login credentials.

Is $40 All People Are Getting In This Settlement?

Well, it's right around that number. Here's a breakdown:

• Payment amounts vary based on how long the user’s account was active during the class period and how many eligible claims were filed.
• The average payment is about $29.43.
• The maximum payout (for users with accounts active for the full span) is approximately $38.36.
• The minimum payment reported so far is about $4.89 for claimants with very short eligible account durations.
• The payments began rolling out in September 2025 and will be distributed in batches over approximately 10 weeks.
• Approved claimants will receive an email notification from the “Facebook User Privacy Settlement Administrator." The email address is:  DoNotReply@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com

According to Dennis Horton at the BBB, The official Facebook settlement website, facebookuserprivacysettlement.com, is the only legitimate source of information. The settlement administrator will never contact you via text or social media or ask for payment to receive your funds.