A rumour is spreading across social media that first warns people not to accept a request from a specific person because they’re a kidnapper, and then goes on to implore Facebook users to send the same message on to 20 people to stay active on Facebook.
Both parts of the warning – the first claim about the kidnapper and the second claim about sending a message onto your friends to stay active – are both completely false.
Some examples can be seen below –
If you get a request from Sunny Boyie do not accept, he is a kidnapper. Send this to all your friends. Hello we are the company Facebook. You must send this to 20 people to stay active. If you don’t you will be disconnected from Facebook. If you think this is fake check the customer service # 316-691-9111
If you get a request from Alan buenrostro do not accept, he is a kidnapper. Send this to all your friends. Hello we are the company Facebook. You must send this to 20 people to stay active. If you don’t you will be disconnected from Facebook. If you think this is fake check the customer service # 316-691-9111
If you get a request from Malachi Cooper do not accept, he is a kidnapper. Send this to all your friends. Hello we are the company Facebook. You must send this to 20 people to stay active. If you don’t you will be disconnected from Facebook. If you think this is fake check the customer service # 316-691-9111
The assertion that users should avoid accepting a friend request from someone “because they’re a kidnapper” should be demonstrably false since a number of different names have cropped up in these warnings, and none of them return any results for anyone wanted on kidnapping charges.
Additionally, Facebook will never threaten account closure based on whether you share a message across their website. That is part of a much longer running hoax that has been spreading in various incarnations for years. We debunked this claim before (when it was not attached to the kidnapper claim.)
The messages are fiction, and should not be circulated across Facebook.