You open Facebook or Instagram and see a friend request from someone you’re already friends with. Same name, same photo. Maybe you think they started a new account, so you tap Accept. A few minutes later they message: “Hey, did you hear about the grant?” or “Can you do me a favor?” It looks like your friend, but it isn’t. It’s a copy made by a scammer. This is one of the most common scams on social media, and it works because we trust people we know. Here’s how it works and what to do.
How the Scam Works
Scammers copy a real person’s name and public photos, create a brand new account that looks identical, and send friend requests to that person’s friends. When you accept, they can message you directly, and they use your trust to try one of several tricks:
The “grant” or prize. “I got a government grant, and you can too. Message this agent.” The “agent” will ask for a fee or your personal details.
A request for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency, with a story like “I’m stuck and my account is frozen.”
A link to “vote for me” in a contest, or a link that asks you to sign in. It’s a fake login page that steals your password.
“Is this you in this video?” with a link that leads to a fake login page.
An investment tip, usually in cryptocurrency, that “worked for me.”
A request to read back a code. They say they’re sending you a verification code and ask you to tell them what it says. That code is actually for your account or phone number, and giving it away lets them take over.
Warning Signs
You’re already friends with the real person. If you receive a second request from someone on your friends list, be suspicious.
The profile is new, with very few posts, photos or friends.
The messages sound wrong. The wording is odd, or it doesn’t sound like them.
They want to move to another app, like WhatsApp or Telegram.
They ask for money, gift cards, a code or your password.
They create urgency or ask you to keep it secret.
What To Do
Don’t accept the request, and don’t reply.
Check the real person. Look through your friends list. If your real friend is still there, the new one is a copy.
Contact your friend another way, like a phone call or a text message, and let them know someone copied their profile. They can warn others.
Report the fake profile. Open it, tap the three dots, and choose Report (the wording varies slightly by app). Look for the option that says it’s pretending to be someone.
Block it.
If You Already Accepted or Replied
Don’t send money, gift cards or codes.
Block and report the account.
If you clicked a link or entered your password, change your password right away on the real site, turn on two-step verification, and check which devices are signed in to your account.
Watch for strange messages sent from your own account, and tell your contacts if there are any.
If Your Profile Was Copied
Try not to panic. If you can still sign in, your account wasn’t hacked. Someone made a copy.
Tell your friends, by post, text or phone, that there’s a fake profile, and ask them not to accept it.
Ask friends to report it too, since several reports can help it come down faster.
Report the fake profile yourself.
How To Make It Harder To Be Copied
Set your friends list so only friends can see it. In Facebook, look in Settings & privacy, Settings, Privacy for the option about who can see your friends list.
Limit who can see your photos and posts to your friends.
Don’t accept requests from people you don’t know.
Turn on two-step verification for your account.
Check your privacy settings every few months. Apps change them.
If you’d like help going through your privacy settings, a Kendera Global session can walk through them with you, step by step, on your own account.
