I discovered the following information when investigating scams and was shocked at how easy to set someone up with fake friends and misinformation to the facebook user’s detriment. I can see why children and teenagers are negatively affected without life experience to protect them from these diabolic individuals.
The fake friend request scam involves receiving friend requests from strangers, often using photos of attractive people. Accepting these requests gives scammers access to your profile information and friends list.
Scammers use fake accounts to appear more trustworthy. They often claim you have a mutual friend in common and may message complimenting your posts to further build rapport. Once connected, scammers use your personal information and connections to spread spam posts or malware links.
In some cases, scammers impersonate the identity of someone you may actually know to more easily gain access. With your personal details and connections in hand, scammers can exploit this information in various ways, like hacking accounts or committing identity theft.
Staying wary of friend requests from people you don’t know well, even if you appear to have mutual friends, can help you avoid this scam. Don’t accept requests just to be polite if you aren’t certain the person behind it is authentic.
How the Scam Works
The fake friend request scam often starts with an incoming friend request from a stranger on Facebook. To appear more legitimate, the scammer may use a profile picture of an attractive man or woman.
The scammer often claims you have mutual friends in common, naming one or two connections you actually have. This convinces some users to mistakenly assume the request is valid and accept it.
In the friend request message, the scammer may compliment your profile or make generic small talk. This further builds a façade of familiarity. Once connected as friends, the scammer has access to your profile information and full friends list.
With these details, scammers use your identity and connections in various fraudulent ways. For example, they may post malware or phishing links on your page that get shared with your friends. They can also message your connections with scams by posing as you.
In more sophisticated cases, scammers may impersonate someone you know to ensure you accept their request. Using hacked accounts or social engineering, they can replicate details about mutual friends or experiences only you would know. This convinces users the identity is valid, granting the scammer access.
Whether using a fake identity or impersonating someone real, these scams aim to take advantage of your connections once connected. Staying wary of all friend requests from unverified strangers can help you avoid inadvertently enabling these scams.
What to Do if You Connected with a Scammer
If you fear you may have accepted a friend request from a scammer, take these steps:
Review your mutual friends in common. Contact any connections listed to verify if they actually know this person. If not, they are likely fake.
Look for recent posts or conversations with the account. Scammers often have few posts or generic comments if any at all.
Check when the account was created. Fake accounts are often new, having been created recently.
Observe the account activity going forward. If you see suspicious posts or messages, that’s a red flag.
Report the account if you confirm it’s fake. Block them to prevent future contact.
Change your privacy settings to limit what friends of friends can access. This prevents scammers from exploiting mutuals.
Monitor your accounts closely for any suspicious activity going forward and report it immediately. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication adds an extra layer of security as well.
Warn your friends and connections about the scam to prevent the scammer from targeting more people. Share any details to help them recognize fake requests.Staying vigilant when accepting new friend requests can help avoid letting scammers gain access. If you do connect with one, take swift action to report, block and mitigate the damage done.
