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The Truth Behind Viral Facebook Message About Cloned Accounts

The Truth Behind Viral Facebook Message About Cloned Accounts

A message is spreading warning users their account has been cloned - this is what to do if you got it.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A hoax is sweeping across Facebook, which claims people's accounts have been cloned and encourages users to share the message.

Thousands of people have received messages which read: "Hi ... I actually got another friend request from you yesterday ... 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 and all the people you want to forward too ... I had to do the people individually. Good Luck!"

But if you have received one, don't worry - it doesn't mean your account has been cloned and you don't need to share on the message to warn others.

According to Snopes, the message is 'at worst a scam or hoax, and at best a once well-intentioned warning rendered useless by being uncritically re-posted all over Facebook'.


via GIPHY

While Facebook cloning - where a profile is created using the stolen photos and information from someone else's account - is real and can happen, with scammers using it to contact someone's friends and gather information, this message is just a Facebook 'chain letter'.

There's no warning about the message containing any sort of virus or being an attempt at phishing - it's more just a waste of everyone's time, because a moron has decided they want to write a blag message to spread across social media for reasons known only to themselves.

However, to be on the safe side, Facebook recommends that you delete it straight away anyway. A spokesperson told the Sun: "We've heard that some people are seeing posts or messages about accounts being cloned on Facebook. It takes the form of a 'chain mail' type of notice.

PA

"We haven't seen an increase in incoming reports of impersonation (cloned accounts).

"The volume of these types of posts isn't a good measure for how often impersonation is actually happening."

So by sharing it, you're probably not going to do any harm, other than making yourself look a bit gullible, but you're also not doing anyone any favours. Your best bet is to do as Facebook suggest and just getting rid.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: uk news, Facebook