Someone might clone your Facebook profile to impersonate you online, typically to send friend requests to your contacts and then use that access to scam them by asking for money, sharing malicious links, or gathering personal information, all while pretending to be you; this is done by copying your profile picture, name, and other publicly available information to create a convincing fake account.
Key points about Facebook profile cloning:
- The primary reason for cloning is to deceive your friends into believing they are interacting with you, allowing the scammer to solicit money or personal information.
- Since much of your Facebook profile is publicly visible, including your profile picture and basic details, it's relatively easy for someone to create a copy.
- Cloned profiles often send friend requests to your existing contacts, who might readily accept believing it's you.
How to protect yourself:
- Limit what information is publicly visible on your profile, including your friends list. (Use this link to run a Facebook privacy check to make sure you are aware of what can and canot be seen by friends and public. Most of mine are set to My Eyes Only. Privacy Checkup LINK )
- Always verify the identity of someone sending a friend request, especially if it seems suspicious.
- If you discover a cloned account, report it to Facebook immediately. If you can see the new cloned account, use the 3 dots to choose and report the profile as a fake. Eventually block the clone account if Facebook doesn't take it down.
- If you suspect your profile has been cloned, let your friends know to be wary of any unusual messages or requests from you.
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