Is there a “new hack” on Facebook that posts dirty videos? Fact Check
A number of messages spreading on Facebook claim that hackers are posting hurtful, offensive or dirty comments from your account, and that you cannot see such comments. Many versions of the message claim this is a “new hack on Facebook”.
MOSTLY FALSE
While several variations of this message have circulated since around 2012, most contain the following assertions –
– That there is a “new hack” on Facebook
– The “hack” involves hackers posting hurtful, offensive, ugly, pornographic or dirty posts, comments or phrases from a victim’s account.
– The victim cannot see the offending content, but their friends can.
Such messages have been spreading on Facebook in various forms since around 2012. Some examples over the years include the below.
Apparently someone has found another way to hurt and offend people for no reason. Here is a heads up for everyone. There is a new hack on FB. It includes a hurtful phrase coming from you. It is usually very dirty and appears that you have written it. You will NOT see it, but your friends will. This creates many misunderstandings. So to all of my contacts, if anything shocking, inappropriate, or indecent ever appears on my timeline, please know it did NOT come from me. Please let me know if this happens. They can also take your pics. You may wish to copy this to your wall. Thanks
Collected January 2019
Apparently there’s another sick and horrible prank taking place on facebook.
😡 😡 😡In addition to porn videos, there is apparently a new hack on Facebook. Between the comments of your contacts, it includes a hurtful phrase coming from you. It’s very dirty, 👿 👿 👿 and it would seem that you wrote it. You do not see it, but your friends do. This situation can create many misunderstandings. 😡 😡 😡I would like to say to all my contacts that if something shocking appears, it doesn’t come from me and I would be grateful if you let me know. 👍🏽 👍🏽 👍🏽Thank you very much. Copy and Paste.
Collected January 2018
As if there isn’t enough craziness in this world, HEADS UP, there is a new hack on Facebook. It includes a hurtful phrase coming from you to one of your contacts. It’s very dirty and it appears that you have written it. You do not see it but your friends do. This situation can create many misunderstandings. I would like to say to all my contacts that if something shocking appears, it absolutely does NOT come from me and I would be grateful if you let me know.
Thank you very much! COPY AND PASTE!!!!!! DO NOT HIT SHARE as it won’t be seen by all of your own friends
Collected January 2018
ATTENTION TO ALL: there is a new hack on Facebook. He arises between the comments of your contacts a sentence offensive on your part. It’s really ugly and looks like it came from your profile. You don’t see him, but your friends do.. This can create many offenses and misunderstandings. As well as the porn pictures again. I want to say to all my contacts that if something comes up insulting and malicious, it is not my own. Copy and paste on your wall, do not share, please!!!!”
Collected April 2016
Sick, sick, evil people!!!! apparently there is a new hack on Facebook. Between the comments of your contacts, it includes a hurtful phrase coming from you. It is very evil and it seems that you wrote it. You can’t see it, but your friends can. This situation can lead to many misunderstandings.
would like to say to all my contacts, if something shocking occurs, it isn’t coming from me, and I would be grateful if you let me know.
Thank you.
Copy and paste. Do not share
Collected January 2017
HACKERS ARE DOING DAMAGE AGAIN ON FACEBOOK!
PORNOGRAPHIC MOVIES ARE BEING POSTED ON OUR BEHALF ON THE WALLS OF OUR PROFILES! WE DO NOT SEE THEM, BUT OTHER PEOPLE DO, AS IF IT WERE OUR PUBLICATION!
SOMETIME EVEN OUR SUPPOSED COMMENTS APPEARS. IF YOU SEE SUCH A THING IN MY HOMEPAGE, ALERT ME AND DO NOT OPEN IT BECAUSE IT IS A VIRUS! …COPY AND RE POST THIS MESSAGE
Collected 2012
URGENT WARNING TO ALL FACEBOOK USERS!!!!!!! Friends be careful .. this is serious….. Hackers and posting sexual videos and pictures on your walls! You don’t see them, but your friends do, then it seems as if you posted it. If you see any such garbage posted under my name, please let me know because I didn’t post it! Share this to protect your self and your friend!
Collected 2012
Despite the popularity and persistence of these warnings, they don’t accurately or coherently describe a genuine threat. As with many popular warnings that stand the test of time, there is a kernel of truth hidden in the warnings, which we will explain below. However, most permutations of these warnings are so incoherent and laden with inaccuracies, they are rendered essentially useless.
The messages above appear to warn the reader that a “new hack” can result in offensive messages being posted from a user’s Facebook account. The kernel of truth is that it is possible that a user could fall for an Internet scam that could result in their Facebook account automatically posting messages (most likely spam) without their permission.
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That’s where the truth of the warning ends, however. If a Facebook account does start posting automatically, it isn’t the result of a “new hack”, or even a “hack” at all. It’s because the Facebook account owner fell for a scam that compromised their account, such as a phishing scam or possibly allowed a Facebook app to post from their account. None of these scams are new, and we’ve previously warned about scams that can result in a Facebook account posting spam in an article here.
We’re also unaware of any scam on Facebook that tries to post offensive, hurtful or “ugly” posts from an account. Typically, compromised Facebook accounts will post spam, or scams.
The messages above also go out of there way to point out to the reader that “you can’t see” the alleged messages posted from a compromised account, “but your friends can.” That’s not accurate. A Facebook account owner can see any comment, message or post that their account made, regardless of whether they gave permission for it to be published. There is no way a scammer could hide an account’s posts, comments or messages from the owner of that account.
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It’s perhaps also worth pointing out the incoherence of these messages. Perhaps they were authored by someone who doesn’t speak English, or (more likely) translated to English using an automated tool. Either way, the language used isn’t helpful and more likely to confuse readers than help them.
That above point is compounded by the fact that the author of the messages doesn’t really describe how the scam works, or even how to avoid it. They vaguely attribute the scam to a “new hack”, without explaining exactly how the scam works, or how crooks are managing this apparent feat of hijacking and posting from user’s accounts. We call that the “magic hacker” explanation. The author seems keen to just assign the “how” question to an answer that may as well be “magic”. Most likely because they don’t know better or are simply making the warning up.
This is an old tired warning that has never accurately described a real threat. We don’t recommend spreading any incarnation of these messages.