Facebook users are currently warning that you should not accept a friend request from an existing profile that you are already friends with.

This is the “precautionary warning”.
Here it says: “Almost all Facebook accounts are doubled. Do not accept a second invitation with my name. I don't have two profiles! Copy and paste to your wall!”

Screenshot: Facebook
Screenshot: Facebook

The phenomenon is not new. We ourselves have been warning about this nasty scam for almost 10 years! Scammers on Facebook are trying to deceive you with this scam! They steal your friend's identity and create a 1:1 copy using the profile data. And then you receive a “double” friend request from a scammer.

The operators of such fake accounts not only endanger the privacy of users, but can also be dangerous. It is not uncommon for data to be resold or the victim to be ripped off.

And this is exactly how the fraudsters go about stealing identities:

Fraudsters create fake profiles on Facebook with the same name and the previously used profile picture + cover photo of existing accounts. The internet fraudster visits the original profile and browses the entire friend list of the copied profile, who then promptly receive a friend request. A majority of users accept these requests because they “know” each other.

Once the request is confirmed, the disguised fraudster chats with the victim for a longer period of time. At some point he asks for the cell phone number and sends a few numerical codes.

And this is where the trap closes!

These inconspicuous numbers strung together are worth cash! By passing on these codes, the fraudsters can make payments to payment service providers on behalf of the victim.

Important to know: Simply passing on your cell phone number is of no use to the fraudster. Only when the victim passes on the numerical code received to the fraudster can he use it to the detriment of his victim.

This means: Always make sure several times whether it is really the supposed friend! Never give out payment or verification codes sent via SMS to anyone! If in doubt, contact your friend personally and ask face-to-face!

Remember: A new request from the same person will only be considered if the friend has previously been independently removed from the friends list (or has removed themselves). Otherwise you should be suspicious!

Precautions

In most cases, scammers seek out profiles that have set their friends list to “public.” You can take precautions by changing your friends list to “Friends” or “Just Me”.


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


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 )