For the second time in six months, my friends on Facebook have been sending me messages that my Facebook account was hacked. They raised the alarm when they started getting new friend requests from me.
I immediately changed my Facebook password of course – a long string of unintelligible gobble-de-gook which I’ll never remember – then I posted a “please ignore my recent friend request, because it ain’t me” on my Facebook feed.
I was left feeling angry, but also curious. Did someone hack my account? How did they go about doing it, and more importantly, why the hell would anyone want to hack me anyway? I’m rather prolific on Facebook and have a lot of “friends” on this platform, but I use it primarily for business and don’t often post on my personal profile.
A little research revealed Facebook account cloning is a simple scam. And to my relief, it does not mean my account was hacked. Whoever cloned account used my profile photo and other public information to try and trick you and all my other Facebook friends to “like” me once again. Once you took that step, sometime soon, the scammer was likely going to ask you to send money! A message from clone me saying, “help, my house burned down”, or “help, I’ve been mugged, and I need money to get home!” Either that, or they were going to try and get your passwords or dupe you in some other way.
Unsurprisingly, such scams are on the rise. This brand of scam is not new, but apparently, it is one of the more lucrative for scammers in 2022!
I remember the first time I saw this kind of scam. I fell for it.
Years ago, a friend of mine supposedly lost his Facebook account access and asked me to re-friend her. I did. About a week later, she sent me a tragic story I thought was real, wherein she asked for some financial help. I was ready to send her some money through the link she provided in the Facebook Message. Fortunately, I picked up the phone and called her, only to find out she was perfectly fine with nary a tragedy in sight.
Even though this scam has existed for quite awhile, some of my friends are “re-friending” my clone, especially some of my older friends who haven’t had a lot of experience on Facebook.
I’m writing this article to share my experience and to provide a few strategies to protect yourself and your friends from this scam.
How to Find Out if You Have a Facebook Clone
If your friends start sending you messages that don’t make sense, especially messages that they are getting new friend requests from you, that probably means you’ve been cloned. The quickest way to find out if this is true is to search for your name and see if there is any other account pretending to be you. Don’t forget there are people out there who share your name, so don’t immediately assume the worst.
What to Do About Your Clone
Facebook makes it easy to report a clone. All you need to do is go to the profile you suspect is your clone and click the three dots in the upper right side of their profile page. Then select “Report Profile” and follow instructions to report the account. Facebook does not tolerate impersonations on their platform and they will look into it.
The next step is to write a post on your timeline to let all your friends know they should not accept new friend requests from you, and to ignore any unusual messages or requests for help.
Set up a little extra security.
- Click the triangle in the upper right to open the menu, then select “Settings & privacy.”
- Select “Settings.”
- Click Security and Login in the left-hand column.
- Scroll down to “Setting Up Extra Security.”
- Click “Edit” next to “Get alerts about unrecognized activity.”
- Select “Get notifications” and then choose an email address (or email addresses) to be notified by email.
- Click “Save Changes.”
How can I avoid Facebook Clones?
Start by hiding your Facebook friends list. Anyone who clones your account will use your friends list as a list of targets, but if your friends list is private, it’s much harder for them to find anyone who will fall for their scams. Fortunately, hiding your friends list only takes a few quick clicks:
- Open Facebook from your web browser.
- Click the triangle in the upper right to open the menu, then select “Settings & privacy.”
- Select “Settings.”
- Click “Privacy” in the left-hand column.
- In the “How people find and contact you” section, check to see who you have selected as being able to see your friends list. If it’s “Public” or you want to change who can see your friends list, move on to step 6.
- Click on “Edit” next to “Who can see your friends list?”
- In the drop-down menu, select who you would like to see your friends list.
And while you’re looking at your Facebook settings, it’s a good time to review your privacy settings. Keeping your information locked down is the best way to keep yourself safe, so take a minute to review your other settings and change your password.
How to avoid getting hacked
This article is about your Facebook Profile being cloned, which is an entirely different from being hacked. However, since we’re in the neighbourhood, here are some tips to avoid getting hacked.
Set a strong password
Make sure you have a strong password, and please don’t use the password across all your digital accounts. That would mean if one of your accounts gets hacked, they all get hacked.
Don’t click on strange links, especially shortened links
If your friend is sending you something interesting, they probably don’t know how to shorten them
Scammers often run a link through a link shortener program to disguise what it is. If the link looks strange, it could be phishing. Phishing is the practice of sending links or emails that look like they are from friends or reputable companies to compel you to give personal or financial information.
Be wary of messages you haven’t heard from for years
It could be a friend who decided to reach out to you after years of separation. That’s usually fun and worthwhile. However, keep your suspicion high at first, because it could be a phishing message or a scam. As your “friend” a question only your real friend would know.
Use Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
MFA is a real pain because it means you need to do two or more things to sign onto your account. It takes longer, but it is also a very effective way to keep hackers off your digital platforms and out of your life. With MFA, even if a hacker gains access to your password, they have another barrier to overcome before they can hack your account. It’s an excellent deterrent you should think about using on all your digital accounts.
Install and run antivirus software
Buy it, install it, and use it. A good antivirus program will prevent email, browser, and social media attacks you don’t even know exist. Well worth the purchase.
Cyber crime is on the rise, but they are easy to beat with a few precautions. Review your security options, be critical of strange messages from distant friends, and clickable links.
We hope this helps. If you have been cloned or hacked, contact us through the Senior Help Line and well connect you with trusted resources to help you.
Article by Mathieu Powell
Coastline Marketing Inc
250-516-6287
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