Is a friend request from someone I already follow on Facebook a scam?

Account cloning is a simple but effective scam. A criminal copies a real person's name, profile photo, and public information to create a near-identical account. They then send friend requests to that person's existing connections, hoping recipients assume it is a legitimate re-request. Once accepted, the cloned account may ask for money citing an emergency, send phishing links, or harvest information to target the victim's other contacts. The real account owner is typically unaware until friends inform them. Checking your current friends list before accepting any second request is the simplest defence.

Cloning takes minutes and requires no hacking — everything the scammer needs is visible on a public profile. That is also why the fake accounts feel authentic at first glance: the photo, name, and cover image are all genuinely your friend's, just copied. What the clone cannot copy is history — years of posts, mutual interactions, and old photos — which is why the profiles look thin when you actually open them.

The harm usually comes after acceptance, when the 'friend' messages you. Common follow-ups include an urgent financial problem, a grant or prize scheme they claim to have benefited from, or a link they insist you open. Any money request or investment tip from a recently duplicated account should end the conversation immediately.