Number of Facebook identity thieves on the rise

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A new scam going around Facebook is increasingly targeting users in Japan with “friend requests” from fake accounts that use the names of those already on their friend lists.

Growing numbers of users in the country have been receiving these fake friend requests, as identity thieves seek to gain access to real accounts. The number of reported abuses has been growing since May.

By taking the account names of existing users and then sending “friend requests” to those they are already connected too, the identity thieves have been able to access the news feeds of users. Sometimes the names are exactly the same, while in other instances the names are misspelt by a single letter. If more than three fake friends are connected, having a personal account locked and taken over is then possible.

If you receive a “friend request” that contains the same first and last name as an existing Facebook friend, or that of a common friend, be wary. Especially so if the requesting account shows a profile photo of an anime or Disney character.