Facebook

[searchlight]

Hi I received a Facebook friend request I suspect may not have been sent by the person named. Is that possible? I know Facebook sends friends suggestions but in this case it was a friend request supposedly from someone I know but wouldn’t have expected.

[murraymints]

Then Don't accept...

[waterboatman]

Ignore. If you are in touch with your friend by phone, ask them.

[waterboatman]

Or email.

[rockyracoon]

Do you use a tablet?

[ummmm]

I've had a couple recently from people I'm already friends with. Decline it.

[Gizmonster]

It's not difficult for someone to set up a fake FB profile, purporting to be someone else.
It is possible that someone has viewed your friend's FB account and downloaded a few pictures and then set up a fake FB account, using these pictures to gain people's confidence and make it look kosher.

Ask your friend direct whether they have sent this friend request; or message the person on FB and ask them a secure question that only your friend will know the answer to ...... in the meantime, don't accept the friend request.

[Ellipsis]

^ What Gizmonster said.

One of the reasons that scammers do this is that eventually you will receive a private message from your "friend" (the scammer) telling you they have fallen on hard times and could you possibly help them out with a loan ...

If you are unsure then, as waterboatman said, check via another channel like phone that the request did indeed come from your friend.

[davidlee21]

Creating a fake profile is very easy on Facebook. Contact the real person and discuss this situation with him/her and don't accept the friend request.

[Canary42]

Fake friends requests are not uncommon on Facebook.

[ichkeria]

You can change your settings to block requests from “everyone” to “friends of friends”.
I had a PM once from a cousin, already a friend, informing me he’d received a huge amount of money from the Irish government. And started telling me how I might apply when I became suspicious.