Because I make my living building websites and managing Facebook accounts for local businesses, I see a lot more of these hoaxes than most people. Unfortunately, the recent news that Facebook actually had been hacked is fueling the flame on this one. The current hoax making the rounds on Facebook reads something like this-

Hi….I actually got another friend request from you 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. PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT A NEW friendship FROM ME AT THIS TIME.

Another message being circulated looks like this-

One of my Facebook friends got another friend request in my name. There maybe a false account up, so let me know if any of my messages look odd.

If you get one of these, the odds are about 99.999% you have not been hacked but merely the recipient of a huge hoax that’s been snowballing lately. Why you ask? Who knows, but most likely just something some individual started for a little entertainment. These things sometimes spread like wildfire and take on a life of their own. Oddly enough these hoaxes hang around for years and often morph into slightly different messages but the common bond is- They are a hoax.

• Your FB account has not been hacked.
• My FB account has not been hacked.
• The message will not spread a virus.
• The message is not a hacking attempt.
• It’s nothing more than an annoying message.
• Sharing the message only means you’ve fallen victim to the centuries-old chain letter scam.