14 DAY TRIAL // An old hoax is making rounds on social networking sites, scaring members into believing that if they befriend a certain user their computers will be hacked.
“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,” reads the sample provided by Hoax-Slayer, usually in UPPERCASE letters.
The names will change from time to time, but the fact of the matter is that no one can hack a computer just by befriending someone on Facebook.
It’s true that in the past period cybercriminals began relying of all sorts of malicious strategies to take over Facebook accounts and use them to spread other schemes, but it’s a long way from adding a friend to being hacked.
Anyhow, I will take this opportunity to remind everyone on some social media safety tips.
First of all, even if poor Stefania Colac is not a malicious hacker, it’s recommended to check out a person before accepting a friendship request. Recent studies revealed that cybercriminals could rely on mutual friends to launch their operations.
Secondly, don’t click on links that promise leaked celebrity tapes, free gift cards to McDonald’s, iPads, or any other fabulous prizes. If you already fell for such a scam and shared it with your friends, make sure you delete it from your wall.
Facebook’s new features raise a lot of privacy concerns lately, but if you carefully check the site’s settings page you can probably configure your profile so that no one other than your friends have access to your content.
Finally, beware of phishing attacks. If you receive a threatening email that claims your Facebook account will be deleted or that you have to pay a fee unless you provide some information, most likely you’re being targeted by a phishing expedition.
Ignore any threats as Facebook never makes threats and it never asks for money. Remember what the site’s main page says : It's free and always will be.