Are your Facebook feed and messages filled with warnings of cloned profiles? It’s going viral | Social Media

Elmira, N.Y. — Lately, many Facebook users have seen posts or read messages from people claiming their profile was cloned or from people warning not to accept any new friend requests from them, according to NBC affiliate WLWT.

Messages are similar to this:

Hi….I actually got another friend
request from you
yesterday…which I ignored so you
may want to check your account.
Hold your finger on the message
until the forward button
appears…then hit forward and all
the people you want to forward
too….l had to do the people
individually. Good Luck!

Clones are different than hacks. Facebook hacks mean somebody has access to your account and any information or messages within it.

A Facebook clone means a spammer has created a new account under your name, often times using your pictures and friend requesting your friends.

The spammer does this, hoping your friends accept the requests thinking it’s somebody they know. The spammer then messages them in an attempt to ask for money, send a virus link or steal their identity.

Facebook officials say there has been no known uptick in cloned accounts recently, but the warning being sent around could be going viral out of fear.

Facebook also said this was not connected to last week’s security breach.