Has your Facebook account really been cloned? Probably not, but here’s how to check in the wake of the ‘fake clone’ chain message.
If you check your Facebook News Feed and Messenger often, you might have come across posts and messages trying to dupe you into thinking that your account has been cloned. The Facebook fake account clone messages are a hoax and they have gone viral over the past few days.
The message warns you your account has been duplicated and asks you to forward the message to your friends.
A typical message reads as follows:
“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… I had to do the people individually. Good Luck!”
Many users have expressed their frustration at receiving dozens of phony messages saying their accounts have been hacked.
So what should you do if you receive this message?
Time Magazine reported that officials are urging to delete the message and not forward it at all, but if you’re still concerned about cloning, you can search for duplicates of your account on Facebook.
If you do believe your account has been cloned, you can report the issue directly to Facebook.
A Facebook spokesperson has said that the company was aware that “some people are seeing posts or messages about accounts being cloned on Facebook.” The social networking giant described it as a “chain mail” scam. The company says there has been no uptick in cloned accounts.
Tech experts warn that encouraging people to forward the message to their entire friends list, is a pointless noise and does no good.
Facebook did experience a cloning epidemic about 18 months ago and accounts are still occasionally cloned.
