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'Following me' is Facebook hoax du jour

'Following me' is Facebook hoax du jour
Posted at 11:42 AM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-21 11:03:11-04

(RNN) - The newest false alarm going around Facebook claims there is a way to see accounts that are secretly following you.

The "following me" claim is not true. According to fact-checking site Snopes, the supposed spies are found by going to the Block Users section under Settings.

They are revealed by typing in "following me" in the search field. In reality, users are getting is a list of people with the words "following" and "me" somewhere on their profiles, not a pack of clandestine agents.

Snopes pointed out that a similar false charge was made earlier in the year. That time, the Men in Black were discovered by typing "Facebook security" in the field.

Users of the social media site have to navigate these types of hoaxes every few months. Previous scare tactics included a "copyright claim" to prevent losing ownership of posted content and a hacker named "Jayden K. Smith."

For people who do want to limit who really can see their postings, the Facebook Help Center provides information on how to change settings.

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