X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

A scammer created a FAKE Facebook profile of this Singapore mum and it could happen to YOU!

4 Apr, 2017

What if you woke up one morning and realised that someone had taken over your online life? This happened to mum of 3, Regina Lim, right here in Singapore.

Fake Facebook profile of this Singapore mum

She narrates, "One morning when I woke up, I received a lot of messages from my friends. They all asked me whether I had added them again on Facebook. They also told me that they had been getting messages requesting for their handphone numbers."

"It seems, once you give them your phone number, they will text you a code. By replying with the code, we'd actually be giving this person some 30 $. I informed my friends that it certainly wasn't me."

A scammer created a FAKE Facebook profile of this Singapore mum and it could happen to YOU!

"My friends knew instinctively that it was a scam. So they reported it to Facebook. Facebook also emailed me and verified the details, and I let them know that this account wasn't mine. In a matter of hours, Facebook deleted the account."

"The fake profile looked exactly like mine. I'm assuming that they hacked my account and got my friend list, because my account is otherwise set to private."

This mummy has since then changed her password and profile picture, but you might get an idea of how similar the accounts looked from the picture below:

A scammer created a FAKE Facebook profile of this Singapore mum and it could happen to YOU!

See, exactly the same cover picture, and at that point of time, even the profile pictures matched!

How easy it is to make a fake Facebook profile

Making a fake Facebook profile is easier and faster than you think. One approach of the culprit would be to send you a friend request. Once you accept it, he has access to your photos, which he diligently copies and saves. He next sets up fake email with a free email provider (like Gmail), using which he can now register for a Facebook account.

He makes sure that he has the exact same profile and cover picture as yours to lend authenticity. He also copies your contact details, education, work history etc into this newly created profile. If he's really clever and an extreme cloner, he might even BLOCK you and your close relatives.

That way you are never going to know of this new version of YOU; he could comment or post as you, and you wouldn't even know! Most cloners go to such extreme measures to deceive or extort money from your friends, posing as you.

work life balance

How to prevent people from creating a fake Facebook profile

There is really no foolproof method of preventing people from hacking your account and taking over your life. But these tips surely help:

  • Do not accept friend requests from people you don't know.
  • Do a periodical review of your friend list and delete people you don't know or remember.
  • Privacy settings: Under “Who can see my stuff” and “Who can see your future posts” select “Friends”. Ditto for "Timeline and tagging".

Set the privacy settings of each album on your profile to 'Friends' only. Double check and 'edit privacy' every time you post a photo or video, on who will be able to see it.

  • Change your Profile and Cover pictures on a regular basis. Avoid posting your contact details like address and phone number.
  • Tell your friends not to accept a second friend request from you without informing you first.
  • If you find that your profile has been cloned, report it immediately or visit the Facebook help centre.

Also READ: Open letter to all mums on Facebook groups in Singapore!

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and comments with us in the Comment box below.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from sg.theAsianparent.com

Join the theAsianparent Community community for Q&A among parents-to-be, parents AND experts!

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Jaya

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • A scammer created a FAKE Facebook profile of this Singapore mum and it could happen to YOU!
Share:
  • Teen girls set up fake Facebook page to kidnap babies

    Teen girls set up fake Facebook page to kidnap babies

  • Fake formula milk: 210 boxes seized in Johor Baru raids

    Fake formula milk: 210 boxes seized in Johor Baru raids

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Teen girls set up fake Facebook page to kidnap babies

    Teen girls set up fake Facebook page to kidnap babies

  • Fake formula milk: 210 boxes seized in Johor Baru raids

    Fake formula milk: 210 boxes seized in Johor Baru raids

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.