There’s a fairly common Facebook scam where someone clones an account, then sends out friend requests to friends of that person. This actually happened to a friend over the holiday break. The only problem was that most of the folks who got friend requests were actually security people. Security people who thought it was very, very funny to play along with said scammer.
The scam account didn’t last long, partly because FB security is pretty good and partly because a few of the folks the scammer invited were FB employees. I’m sure, though, that for a brief moment the scammer thought he’d found the motherlode of scam victims.
Today I got a similar scam on LinkedIn. A very bare account with little in the way of information about who this was.
I don’t like connecting with these kinds of profile. But, the name does sound vaguely familiar. So I do a little Googling. And I find another LinkedIn profile for the same person, but this profile has a lot more info: A picture, a statement, 500+ connections, all the things one expects from a real person on LinkedIn.
So yes, Facebook scams have rolled over to LinkedIn. Be careful out there, folks. Pay attention to who you’re friending on all social media, not just FB or LinkedIn. Discretion is the better part of valor and all.
Facebook scams move to LinkedIn
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So are you saying that scammers should create a Facebook/LinkedIn profile of someone who isn’t yet using the service, and add some real information? 🙂
(I accept just about anyone on LinkedIn, knowing very well that some may be, or indeed are, scammers. I also “accept” anyone as a Twitter follower.)
Oh, a fb friend of mine had someone unknown create a fb account with all her pictures.
Wrong DOB and other stuff, but her pictures from her acct, same name. Started sending friend requests to all her friends. Then contacting me as her saying I won $150 million. Nigerian conman, pretty obviously.
I reported it, as did she, and it’s still up, fb refuses to take it down even with her pictures on it.
I dispute your statement that fb security is pretty good. It’s still up right now, with the real person’s pictures.
That seems mind blowing, since fb can plainly see who the real pictures came from.