.

    *Anyone can use the internet to make false accusations.
    *Some people will believe anything they read online or in print.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Be careful whom you befriend on Facebook


I get lots of requests to be a "friend" of people on Facebook and on other social networking sites. I'm a friendly guy and saw no point in rejecting anyone -- even people I had never heard of.

I've just learned that this policy is a big mistake, and can be dangerous.

Above at the right is a photo used by the fake "Mike Josephs" who sponsored a lie-based petition against me on Facebook, to have me put on a list of sex offenders.

Most of the people who signed the petition are just as fake as "Mike." There is no information on their Facebook pages, and they have no friends.

However, if people look at the page of "Mike," they will find some actual human beings listed as friends -- and these people unwittingly aid "Mike's" scams and crimes.

I wrote to all of "Mike's" alleged friends, asking if they really knew him or knew anything about him. The first reply I received was from Nikki Ganus. Nikki has over 1,000 listed friends, but she confirmed that she doesn't know or know about "Mike Josephs." She thanked me for the warning and  unfriended the phony "Mike."

Some people seem to get into friending frenzies, or contests to accumulate as big a friend list as they can -- without being aware of the consequences.

Prune your own list and advise your real friends and relatives to do it, too. Don't be associated with someone who can use your "friendship" to hurt others or commit crimes.

With friends like "Mike Josephs," you don't need enemies.

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