A Facebook post claims that almost all Facebook accounts are currently being hacked. The text should be copied in chain letter style and thus further distributed.

This text is:

MIMIKAMA

"Important NOTE!
Just happened (!), so please read:
Be careful, almost all Facebook accounts have been or are being hacked.
The profile picture and your name will be used to open a new FB account. Then they try to convince your friends to add you as a friend again... and voila, they try to ruin your life! Your friends will think it's your account and accept the friend request. From this moment on, these pirates can write whatever they want in your name... I am informing you today that I will NOT be opening a new account, so please do not accept a second invitation from me!
Copy and post this message to your homepage so your friends are warned.
Don't forward or share, just copy and post. There is also apparently a new hacker hobby on Facebook:
negative, insulting comments are placed between the comments of your contacts or friends.
These comments are mean, sometimes primitive, and seem to come from you.
You can't see them - but your friends can. This can lead to a nasty misunderstanding. If you as my friends/contacts should discover something disgusting or offensive in connection with my name: IT DID NOT COME FROM ME!
Copy this text and put it on your FB page as a warning.”

The short version: Fraudsters copy Facebook profiles and then write to their friends using that profile and/or make offensive comments.

The profiles were not and are not hacked , but copied !

The method

A fraudster creates a new Facebook identity with the same name and the previously used profile picture + cover photo .

The internet fraudster then visits the original profile and searches through the victim's entire friends list, who then receive another friend request . A majority of users accept these requests because they “know” each other.

If you confirm this, the new friend will immediately send you a message requesting the mobile phone number and the numerical codes, which will be received immediately after the number is revealed. Extreme caution is required: these small and inconspicuous numerical codes are worth money!

By passing on the numerical codes, the fraudsters are able to redeem them at payment service providers and thereby charge the victim's cell phone bill. However, simply passing on your cell phone number does not result in a charge to your own cell phone bill.

In general, it is important to also contact supposed friends - be it via messenger or social networks. Never pass on payment or confirmation codes sent via SMS.

What can I do against it?

First of all, ask the friend from whom you received this supposed renewed request whether he/she actually sent a new request. Of course, this is best done face to face.

You can also remember that a new friend request is logical if the friend in question has previously disappeared from the friends list - but you should still ask in this case too.

We recommend that you a report with the relevant state criminal police office In view of the increasing number of internet crimes, special units have been set up here. The so-called Cyber ​​Crime Competence Center works in a technically highly professional and networked manner.

Officials are well aware of the Facebook scam with fake profiles. Some organized gangs have already been stopped - including in the area of ​​Facebook profile copies.

To do this, the officials are of course dependent on reports and therefore the help of those affected. According to the LKA Saxony, the number of unreported cases of such fraud is still very, very high.

At this point we would like to show you how you can protect your Facebook profile as best as possible in 4 steps so that it cannot be copied.

1. FIRST LOOK FOR A COPY OF YOUR ACCOUNT

Use Facebook SEARCH and search for your name. Your friends should also support you in the search, because the scammers usually block the ORIGINAL profile and so it may be that your profile exists twice but you cannot find it.

If you or one of your friends have discovered a copy, REPORT the copied profile immediately.

2. HIDE YOUR FRIENDS LIST

Once an account has set its friends list to “Only me,” it is no longer of interest to internet fraudsters. To do this, click on “Friends” in your profile (under the cover photo). On the right you will find a “pen”.

Screenshot mimikama.org
Screenshot mimikama.org

Here you can edit the settings for your friends list.

3. IF POSSIBLE, NEVER POST “PUBLICLY”

EVERYONE doesn't always have to know everything.
It's enough if your FRIENDS find out something. You can set the setting for this directly in the status post. This applies to pure text posts, but also photos and videos.

Screenshot mimikama.org
Screenshot mimikama.org

4. PLEASE ALSO MAKE THE FOLLOWING SETTINGS:

Content, contacts and searches

Who can see your future posts: “Friends”
Who can send the friend requests: “Everyone” or “Friends of Friends”.
Our recommendation: “Friends of friends” ► Whose messages should be filtered in my inbox: “Strict filtering”

Remove check mark

If you want other search engines to contain a link to your timeline: REMOVE check mark

Limit visibility

Who can post in your timeline: “Friends”
Check marked posts first: “Enabled”
Who can see marked posts: Our recommendation: “Friends”
Who can see what others post in your timeline: Our recommendation: “Friends ”
User tagging suggestions: “Enabled”
Combine your actions with ads: “Nobody”

Further articles on this topic:

Support consumer advice centers!

Those affected and those seeking advice can also seek advice from one of the 16 consumer .

In addition to personal consultations, which can be arranged for Saxony by calling the Saxony-wide appointment telephone number 0341-6962929 , email advice is also possible on the Saxony Consumer Center website.

Telephone advice is also guaranteed. All information about this can be found on our website: https://www.verbraucherzentrale-sachsen.de/telefonberatung

How can I make my profile more secure?

Report the profile to Facebook.

Open the respective timeline/the copied profile.

  1. Click on the –“…” symbol and select “Report”
  2. Select “Report this account”
  3. Select “This timeline is pretending to be me or someone I know.”
  4. Now click on “Me”.
  5. (Note: If the scammer(s) have blocked your profile, have your friends report the profile and click “Someone I know” here.)
  6. Submit this to Facebook for review.
Screenshot mimikama.org
Screenshot mimikama.org

Precautions

This can only happen if you have set your friends list to “PUBLIC”! It's best to set this to "FRIENDS" - or if you want NO ONE to see the friends list, to "ONLY ME"!

Screenshot mimikama.org
Screenshot mimikama.org

Result:

While not “almost all” accounts are affected, this is a real threat.

So keep an eye out for friend requests! Because of the digital age, we often cannot know who is really behind a profile.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )