If you’ve recently noticed Facebook posts claiming that user Selene Delgado Lopez is in your inbox or friends list, you aren’t alone.
Users are sending out warnings—either through DM or by a public post—alleging that the profile is listed in nearly every Facebook user’s friend list.
“Are you friends with Selene Delgado Lopez? Look her up, and you’ll see you are, and you can’t unfriend her. Be warned; blocking is the only option,” the warning typically reads.
The cryptic message understandably sparks alarm for many users. Some are quickly sent searching her name on their search bar, only to find that they appear to be friends with her because there is no “add friend” option.
HITC reports that the Selene Delgado Lopez account may have simply disabled their friend request button, which would explain why no “add friend” option pops up when searching her name. Furthermore, the outlet reports that users can only message the account because of the setting, fueling the idea she’s a friend and not some random user.
And it’s not just one but a slew of “Delgado Lopez” accounts. The claims that the single account has penetrated mass friends list on the social networking platform don’t hold up when considering that Facebook only allows users a maximum friend count of 5,000.
The hoax may even pose data privacy threats, according to Forbes.
Forbes’ cybersecurity reporter Davey Winder writes that the online spectacle surrounding the profile could be a window into the pitfalls of privacy and security on social media. He says that users need to be aware of this in order to know who they are friending online and to avoid any malicious events.
“Social media users need to be able to identify these hoaxes rather than taken in by them; they need to be able to delete and move on rather than distribute and expand the deception,” he writes. “It’s one thing being warned about Selene Delgado Lopez and told to go search for her on Facebook, but how long before there’s a link to a supposed search for your convenience or another that can unfriend her in one click?”
So, who is Selene Delgado Lopez?
While some outlets are linking the profile user’s name to a missing woman of the same name, Selene Delgado, it is still unclear if that’s who the accounts are impersonating. HITC reports that Selene Delgado is a common name in Mexico.
