A woman receives a message on Facebook from someone she does not recognize. The message says they have a mutual friend and offers her access to an investment opportunity with guaranteed returns. What should she do first?

The A in PAUSE applies directly here. Before acting on any unsolicited contact on social media, ask someone already in your life. A trusted person with no stake in the outcome can spot red flags that urgency or curiosity might cause you to miss. Checking privacy settings is also the right next step: if a stranger can message you directly, your settings may be giving scammers easier access than intended. A real name and profile photo are not reliable signals. Scammers create convincing fake profiles routinely, and the FTC found that investment scams starting on social media caused $1.1 billion in losses in 2025 alone.