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Potential scam Facebook accounts for parents and families

by Betsy Chapman

Many Wake Forest parents connect with one another through social media groups run by other Wake Forest families. These communities can be a helpful way to share experiences and advice, and we encourage you to keep doing so.

We also urge you to connect with caution. Wake Forest recently identified several Facebook groups that appear to be associated with Wake Forest, but are not, including ones that could potentially be cyber risks.

What families should know

Wake Forest’s official public Facebook page for parents and families is Facebook.com/WFUParents and does not require approval to join.

 

If you belong to Facebook groups that require you to join or be approved, please use caution in sharing your personal information, providing access to your profile, and providing your financial information to purchase items via those groups. Official Wake Forest Facebook groups will clearly identify their association with the University.

List of potential Facebook groups to examine with caution
(If you feel we’ve flagged a valid group, please let us know).

Additional tips for vetting parent and family Facebook groups

  • Inspect admin profiles: look for warning signs like brand-new accounts, old accounts without recent posts, generic profile pictures, or accounts with few friends and followers
  • Verify parent status: ensure group admins can credibly demonstrate that they actually have a student currently attending Wake Forest.
  • Protect personal information: be cautious of membership questions that request more student or family details than necessary
  • Buy merchandise officially: purchase university gear only through official Wake Forest outlets; unlicensed merchandise sold in groups is often a red flag
  • Avoid external links: exercise caution before clicking links to third-party websites, WhatsApp/Telegram channels, surveys, petitions, or verification pages

If you are a member of a Facebook group believed to be fraudulent, please report it to Facebook.

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support. You can also visit we.wfu.edu for resources.