Well, here we go again with yet another round of a very irritating Facebook hoax.
Once again, this particular hoax is being spread via Messenger, and as usual lots of folks are falling for it.
The hoax message varies a bit, but it typically reads something like this:
“(561) 932-5713. Hello, I am Francisco Lopez, Director of Messenger.
This message informs all of our users that we have only 530 available
accounts and that our servers have recently been overloaded, so we ask
for your help in solving this problem. We need our active users to
forward this message to each person in their contact list to confirm
that our active users are using. If you do not send this message to all
your contacts, your account will remain inactive, which will result in the
loss of all your contacts. An automatic update symbol on your smartphone
will appear along with the transfer of this message. Your smartphone will
be updated within 24 hours, it will have a new design, a new chat color,
and its icon will change from green to blue. You will go to the payment level
if you are not a frequent user. The logo will turn red to indicate that you are
a frequent user. Tomorrow they will start charging messages at 0.37 cents.
Forward this message to more than 25 people from your contacts, and it
will be free for life. Look at it, and the little ball will turn blue, do it, we will
see! Confirm ® Send it to all your contacts so that the application is updated.
Messenger allocates 3000 MB of INTERNET and 25.00 BSF CREDIT. Send
this message to 25 contacts and make sure that your balance will have free
calls over the Internet, and it will be free for life, if you send this message to
35 people, you will be activated.”
As you can see, this message uses the same type of scare tactic that so many others use.
In a nutshell, it claims that unless you forward the message to at least 25 people you’ll have to start paying Facebook a fee if you want to keep using Messenger.
Of course it’s all a lie. There is no “Director of Messenger” just like there’s no “Director of Facebook“.
And if “Francisco Lopez” actually exists, he’s a fraudster.
I must admit that the inclusion of a phone number to lend an air of credibility to the hoax is a novel approach, but I’m not sure why they would choose to use a number from the Palm Beach, Florida area when Facebook’s headquarters is located in California!
Be that as it may, DO NOT call that number because it too is fraudulent.
Bottom line: Always remember that ANY post or Instant Message that tells you to share it or forward it to your friends in order to prevent some bad thing from happening to your Facebook account is a hoax. Every time – no exceptions!