In yet another fake news story going viral over the weekend on Facebook, was the warning about social media hacker Jayden K. Smith. Do not accept his “friend request” they all have in common.
Turns out to be another hoax, according to Snopes, Hoax-Slayer and ThatsNonsense, who all confirm this warning is the latest in a string of hacker warnings circulating on social media.
Received by inbox, the message states: “Please tell all the contacts in your messenger list not to accept Jayden K. Smith friendship request.”
“He is a hacker and has the system connected to your Facebook account. If one of your contacts accepts it, you will also be hacked, so make sure that all your friends know it. Thanks. Forwarded as received.”
Dating back at least a decade, these messages aren’t the first of its kind, according to Hoax-Slayer. While the names may be switched, they all have one theme in common – they are all hoaxes.
“Jayden K. Smith” doesn’t appear to exist, according to numerous public records databases. And neither does Anwar Jitou – the name used in other recent viral social media messages.
ThatsNonsense reports, “These types of warnings have been around long before Facebook, affecting users of now defunct services such as MSN Messenger, where users would pass on warnings of phantom Messenger hackers trying to add themselves into your contact list.”
“I pay these messages no mind,” Tony DiFrancesco of Fort Pierce told South Florida Reporter. “While most people who forward these messages are probably well intended, a little common sense can go a long way.”
While downloading a file containing a virus or handing over personal information such as a password would permit unauthorized access, simply accepting a “friend request” from strangers on Facebook doesn’t permit hacker access to your account or computer.
“Doesn’t Facebook discourage you from accepting a ‘friend request’ from someone you don’t know?” criminal defense attorney Steve Swickle of Fort Lauderdale told South Florida Reporter. “Social media to me is private and personal. I don’t accept friend requests from strangers.”
Fake, scam and a hoax – sometimes all it takes is a bit of common sense when dealing with strangers and social media. While “Jayden K. Smith” may have taken on a role larger than life on social media, the person simply doesn’t exist in real life.
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