The ‘Nuran Katikoy’ Hacker Warning is Yet Another Hoax

The claim

Please tell all the people on your messenger list not to accept nuran katikoy’s friend request. [Link to profile removed]

He’s a hacker, and the system is connected to your facebook account. If one of your contacts accepts it, you’ll be attacked, so make sure all your friends know. Thank you.

However, the warning is just another hoax and it should not be taken seriously. The hacker threat described is not real.

The link in the message did point to a Turkish Facebook user with the same name but there is no indication that the person is a criminal hacker. And, even if this person was a hacker, he could not take control of your account in the way described. The Facebook profile is not currently accessible.

The hoax is circulating in both English and Turkish but is nonsense in any language.

It is just one in a long line of very similar hoaxes that have been circulating in various forms for many years. From time to time, somebody adds a new name to one of the older hoaxes and relaunches it anew. Such hoaxes are often created as ill-advised pranks directed at a friend of the perpetrator. In other cases, they may be deliberate and unfair attempts to discredit or cause trouble for the person named in the fake warning.

Several other, almost identical, versions of the hoax that use different names for the supposed hacker are also currently circulating.

One current version warns you not to accept friend requests from a person called “Jayden K. Smith”.

Please tell all the contacts in your Messenger list, not to accept Jayden K. Smith friendship request. He is a hacker and has the system connected to your Facebook account. If one of your contacts accepts it, you will also be hacked, so make sure that all your friends know it. Thanks. Forwarded as received

Another version names the hacker as one Anwar Jitou.

Hackers Cannot Take Control of Your Accounts in the Way Described

Criminals commonly use several methods to fool users into relinquishing control of their online accounts. Often, they may use phishing scam messages to trick people into sending them account login details and other personal information. Once they have collected this information, the criminals could then hijack the compromised account and use it for their own purposes.

Alternatively, the criminals might trick people into installing malware that allows the criminals to gain access to the infected computer or steal account login credentials from it.

However, even the smartest hacker will not be able to take control of your computer just by being added to your Facebook friends list. For a hacking attempt to work, some sort of file transfer or exchange of information must take place or the victim must take some sort of action such as installing malware.

These false hacker warnings help nobody

Passing on fake alerts will do nothing to help people stay safe online. Nor will they help people protect their online accounts. Such hoaxes serve only to spread confusion.

And, these hoaxes often use common names that are shared by a many people around the world. So, the hoaxes can unfairly damage the reputations of people who have done nothing wrong.

If you receive one of these hoaxes, do not pass it on. And, let the person who posted it know that the claims in the message are untrue.

Nevertheless, Be Careful With Friend Requests

As noted, these warning messages are not accurate and should not be taken seriously.

However, it is wise to use caution and common sense when accepting friend requests. Scammers will sometimes send friend requests and, if you accept, they will try to trick you into sending them money or personal information, installing malware, or visiting spam websites.

And Facebook cloning scammers may send you bogus friend requests that appear to come from people that you are already friends with.