Some time ago it was common to receive friend requests from complete strangers on Facebook, usually with a newly created profile, but more and more users are restricting this method in the options, which is why scammers are now trying the opposite trick: asking them a friend request send.
However, the result is the same: it leads to scams!

The annoying comments

If you have never seen these comments from yourself or others, you probably don't use Facebook very intensively: Comments of this type keep appearing in every nook and cranny of the platform, whether on pages, in groups or on private profiles:

Dubious Facebook comments
Dubious Facebook comments

The texts are, for example:

"Hello, how are you today? I love your Facebook page, you have a nice profile and I will be happy to be in your circle of friends, but I don't want to send you a friend request without your permission. Would you mind sending me a friend request? Thank you and stay blessed.”

It is very often evident in the comments that they do not know the German language: they often switch between “Sie” and “Du”, which suggests that a translation program such as Google Translate or DeepL is being used.
These comments can also often be found in English:

“Sorry to write on your timeline But I have to tell you the truth, you always share great posts🤭. Oh, when I saw your wonderful posts and your beautiful photos🌹, I was impressed. But if I send you a friend invitation without your consent, it would be impolite. If you become my friend, I will be very happy add me or send me a friend request”

What the comments always have in common is that you get compliments and are asked to make a friend request.
This is systematic, because if fraudsters send a lot of friend requests too quickly, the Facebook algorithm could quickly recognize them as spammers and block them.

What scams are behind the method

Romance/love scammers

often reported on this method . It mostly affects women: The fraudsters usually pose as single fathers whose wife died in an accident, they build up a relationship of trust over months and at some point ask for money so that they can move to Germany, for example - although, surprisingly, the money is usually over Western Union should be sent to Africa.

Men are also the target of these scams, as can be seen in the screenshot above (“Hello handsome”), but here the scam works differently: Either you have to register on a paid sex/dating site in order to continue chatting there (which never happens will happen) or you should turn on the webcam via another app (e.g. Skype) and show yourself naked - which can then be used for blackmail.

Profile copier

Many users have unlocked all of their friends' photos and lists of other friends, which fraudsters know how to take advantage of.

In this scam, the fraudsters copy the profile of the person they are new friends with down to the smallest possible detail, i.e. name, photos, information about school and training, and so on. The friends are then contacted with the copied profile, it is claimed that the old profile has been “hacked” and that they should friend the new profile.

From this point on, the fraud options are varied: For example, you are asked for your cell phone number so that you can send an SMS, and you are then supposed to give the code back to the fraudster - but in reality, by passing on the code, money is then removed from the SMS recipient's credit debited.

You can also send messages to your “friends” like “ Is that you in the video?” “ can be sent - but behind the supposed video there is a phishing trap: You are apparently supposed to log in to Facebook again to see the video, but the login data ends up with the fraudsters - who then have full access to the Facebook account .

Conclusion

Under no circumstances should you respond to such comments, but block the people immediately so that you at least disappear from the radar of this scammer - otherwise they will keep trying to contact you somehow and lure you into a trap.


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