Yesterday a good friend of mine had their Facebook account duplicated by a scammer. The scammer created a fake Facebook account/Profile and used the friends list from the real account to further the scam. I am concerned about your safety. Watch this video to learn more.

Post by Alpha Social Media Inc.
Things to consider for your safety on Facebook:
  1. If someone sends you a friend request and they are already a friend, this is most likely a scam. Don’t just blindly accept friend requests. Before you accept any friend request, check out the Profile. Has it just been newly created? Is the Timeline lacking in lots of content? These are signs of a possible fake account. If someone is already your friend, DO NOT accept the new friend request.
  2. If you don’t know the person, don’t accept the friend request. This may seem like a given, but many people fail on this one.
  3. Make sure you secure your friends list from the public. Set the security level to Friends or maybe Only Me. This scam cannot operate if the scammer cannot see your friends list. They will move on to an easier target.

How do you set the security level on the Friends List to Friends or Only Me?

  1. Go to the Friends section on your Facebook Profile.
  2. Look to the right side of the screen and look for a pencil icon.
  3. Click on the pencil icon.
  4. Click on Edit Privacy.
  5. Click on the down arrow and select Friends or Only Me. You can also set a Custom setting there as well. Set it for your level of comfort.

If you see that a friend has been compromised, let them know immediately, so that no one gets scammed. How can you tell? When you do a Facebook search, you will see two Facebook Profiles with the same Profile picture and same name. Scammers want people to attach themselves to this newly created fake Facebook account. Don’t be a victim of crime. Don’t let others be a victim of crime either. Be safe out there.