Facebook Friend Request Hoax

 

Did You Receive a Facebook Friend Request From Someone Who's Already on Your List?

A chain forwarding message has been circulating on Facebook in the last few days, being perpetrated by people who wrongly believe their account is sending friend requests to everyone. The message comes as a concern from one of your acquintances saying that you just sent them another friend request and you may want to check your account.

The text is a hoax meant to urge Facebook users foward it to their contacts, with no intention to defraud them in any way. However, there is more, and you should be very careful about this. Why do so many people still forward the message?

---

Scam Detectors Most Trusted Websites in Online Security

1. Guard.io (100): Surf the web safely. Clean up your browser, remove maliscious extensions and check for privacy violations.
2. Incogni.com (100): Delete your personal data from the internet and protect against scams and identity theft.
3. ExpressVPN (100) Stay secure and anonymous online - Best VPN Out There

---

Watch the video below to see the Facebook Friend Request Hoax exposed on ABC:

Facebook Request Scam Video

The message reads:

“Hi….I actually got another friend request from you which I ignored so you may want to check your account. Hold your finger on the message until the forward button appears…then hit forward to all the people you want to forward to….PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT A NEW friendship FROM ME AT THIS TIME.”

 

If you look at the content, there is a red flag that stands out and which you should keep in mind for next time you receive something similar. There is an instruction: “hold your finger and … hit forward to all the people you want to forward to”. People interpret this as “forward to everyone”. Instructions to do things within Facebook Messenger (or emails, text messages, etc) are the first dead giveaway you should look for.

Beware of the New Facebook Accounts Asking For Your Friendship

However, this hoax is just a simple game tricksters play every few months or so. However, it is less dangerous than the case where criminals steal your friends' images and create duplicate profiles of their accounts. Then they add you again as a ‘friend' and once you approve they start asking for all weird requests.

Because we often receive legitimate duplicate friend requests from people we know, many Facebook users fall victims to the real scammers. Be very careful at what the new account user is asking you to do.

 

Facebook Scams: How To Report Them

Make your family and friends aware of the Facebook Friend Request Scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the questionable Facebook accounts directly to Facebook or to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:

Report To Facebook Here

Report To The FTC Here

 

How to protect yourself more:

If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodical emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.