The “Do Not Accept A Friend Request” Facebook Hoax

Some hoaxes never die. It seems as if every month or two, there’s a “warning” about accepting a friend request from a specific person. Sometimes these warnings appear as a graphic, while other times they are just ALL CAPS with lots of exclamation points. Often the rumor is listed as being “confirmed” – but in reality it’s only been confirmed to be a hoax.

This type of hoax has been around as long as social media has been popular. There are endless variants of the message.

The most recent variation I spotted read as follows:

ATTENTION **ALL FACEBOOK USERS ** .. DO NOT ADD “LINDA SMITH”, also IF SOMEBODY CALLED “JASON LEE”, ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT IT.. IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM , YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO . COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE-POST  – THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY FB

It isn’t possible to get a virus by adding a friend on Facebook. Period. Hoaxters like to add such verbiage as “This has been confirmed by Facebook” to lend credibility to their hoax.

The names often change, and the threat even changes, but the fact that it’s a hoax remains the same. Below are several common variants. Notice how the details change, but the overall hoax has the same effect.

W A R N I N G :::: DO NOT ADD *RAQUEL CRITELLI*, KELLY HARGROVE, ALSO IF SOMEBODY CALLED *KELLY HARGROVE* ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT… IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM, YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO. **COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE POST* THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY FACEBOOK AND SNOPES Raquel Critelli is in fact Kelly Hargrove’s account .. it was just confirmed …it is a hacker account.!!! Pass this on people, spread the warnings please !!!!!!!! repost to your family and friends

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PB: BEWARE!!! DO NOT ACCEPT A FRIEND REQUEST FROM TANNER DWYER, CHRISTOPHER BUTTERFIELD, STEFANIA COLAC AND ALEJANDO SPILJNER. THESE ARE HACKERS SO PUT IT ON YOUR WALL. IF SOMEONE ADD’S THEM THEY TAKE YOUR CONTACTS, EMPTY YOUR COMPUTER AND ADDRESSES, SO COPY AND PASTE THIS ON YOUR WALL.

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WARNING!!!!! DO NOT ACCEPT FRIEND REQUESTS FROM ~~~ BOBBY ROBERTS ~~~ Profile picture is four colored picture ~~ A hacker and fake name!!!! the name will DESTROY EVERYTHING!!! Please… COPY THIS TEXT ON YOUR STATUS SO THAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE WARNED ****************** PASS ON ALONG..

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ATTENTION ATTENTION !!! ATTENTION !!! ATTENTION ALL FACEBOOK USERS**… DO NOT ADD *JASON ALLEN*, ALSO IF SOMEBODY CALLED *AMY ALLEN* ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT… IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM, YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO. **COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE POST* THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY FACEBOOK AND SNOPES

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DO NOT ACCEPT ANY FRIENDSHIP INQUIRIES FROM: ROLAND DREYER, MATTHIAS DAMBERGER, MARIO SOMMER, FABIAN BERNEDER OR FRANK BECKER !!!!! THESE ARE HACKERS!!!!! THEY CAN DESTROY THE HARD DISK!!!!!!…PLEASE …COPY TEXT ON YOUR BULLETIN BOARD!!!…SO THAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE PROTECTED

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ATTENTION **ALL FACEBOOK USERS**..DO NOT ADD *LINDA SMITH*,ALSO IF SOMEBODY CALLED *JASON LEE*,ADDS YOU,DON’T ACCEPT..IT IS A VIRUS.TELL EVERYBODY,BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM,YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO.***COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE POST******THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY FACEBOOK

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ATTENTION*****: ALL FACEBOOK USERS**********…DO NOT ADD HER!!! IF SOMEBODY CALLED ” SMARTGRRL15″, ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT IT…IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM, YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO. COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE REPOST THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THRU FB…

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DO NOT ADD *JASON ALLEN*, LINDA SMITH, OR JASON LEE, ALSO IF SOMEBODY CALLED *AMY ALLEN* ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT… IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM, YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO. **COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE POST* THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY FACEBOOK AND SNOPES Amy Allen is in fact Monica Pullen’s account .. it was just confirmed it is a hacker account

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FROM NEWS FEED: DO NOT ADD HER!!! IF SOMEBODY CALLED “SMARTGRRL15”, ADDS YOU, DON’T ACCEPT IT…IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON UR LIST ADDS THEM, U GET THE VIRUS TOO. COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE REPOST

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ATTENTION **** ALL FACEBOOK USERS **** .. DO NOT ADD HER!!! IF SOMEBODY CALLED ” JASON LEE ” , ADDS YOU , DON’T ACCEPT IT.. IT IS A VIRUS. TELL EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS THEM , YOU GET THE VIRUS TOO . COPY AND PASTE AND PLEASE RE POST THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you see another variation of this hoax, let us know in the comments.

June 2013
We’ve seen this one surging:

DO NOT ACCEPT A FRIEND REQUEST FROM A CHRISOPHER DAVIES AND JESSICA DAVIES THEY ARE HACKERS. TELL EVERY 1 ON YOUR LIST BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY ON YOUR LIST ADDS HIM, HE’LL BE ON YOUR LIST TOO. HE’LL FIGURE OUT UR COMPUTER’S ID AND ADDRESS , SO COPY & PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE EVEN IF U DON’T CARE Thanks for the warning, pass it on