A primary component of using social media is connecting with friends. Unfortunately, scammers are taking advantage of this in order to steal your identity. Known as “farcing,” these scams start when you receive a friend request from someone who supposedly shares mutual friends with you.
Once you accept the request the scammers search your online profile to collect personal data about you, such as your hometown, schools you attended, employers, siblings, and vacation spots. They often go a step further by contacting you directly through the site’s direct messaging feature to ask more questions about you, based on the information you’ve already posted. After you have accepted their request, they continue their scheme by sending friend requests to your friends, and then their friends.
Take these steps to protect your social media identity:
Use the privacy settings on social media websites to manage who can access your profile.
If you get a friend request from someone you don’t know, don’t accept it. If you are interested in accepting it, ask the mutual friends that you supposedly have in common who the person is. If they can’t give you definite answers about the person, ignore the request.
Be cautious if you receive direct messages from new friends that request details or your personal information.
Notify the website if your profile has been hacked or images have been stolen.