When you receive a friend request on Facebook from someone you don’t recognize, you may see a message saying “You may not know this person.” This message is Facebook’s way of alerting you that the request could be from a stranger, scammer, or other suspicious account. There are a few reasons why Facebook shows this message:
You have no mutual friends
Facebook’s friend recommendation algorithm works by looking at your existing friend network and suggesting new connections who have overlapping connections. For example, if John is friends with Sally, and Sally is friends with Jane, Facebook may suggest John add Jane since they have a mutual friend.
When you get a request from someone with no friends in common, Facebook flags it as potentially suspicious. After all, this person has no obvious connection to your social circle. They may have found you through search or by browsing suggested friends. Facebook figures there’s a higher chance this is a stranger, scammer, or bot account if there are no shared connections.
The account lacks profile information
Facebook is skeptical of accounts with very little identifiable information. When you get a request from an account with no profile photo, work history, education history, posts, or other personal details filled out, Facebook will show the “You may not know this person” warning.
This makes sense – most real people share at least some basic profile info. Blank or empty accounts are more likely to be fake, abandoned, or used for shady purposes. Facebook figures it’s better to err on the side of caution and warn you that basic profile details are missing.
The account is new
Watch out for friend requests from freshly made accounts. Facebook considers accounts created within the past month or so more risky, even if the person seems to know you. This is because scammers and bots frequently make new accounts to avoid detection.
Very new accounts that start rapidly adding friends can be a red flag. Facebook would rather warn you that the account is extremely new so you can do a little more vetting. Maybe it’s your old friend returning to Facebook after years away, or maybe it’s a scammer using a brand new account to avoid getting caught.
You have other loose connections
You may get the “You may not know this person” message even if you have a few minor connections to the account. For example, you both belong to the same large Facebook group or like the same obscure Facebook page.
While you technically have something in common with this person, these types of loose connections are still considered suspicious by Facebook. Belonging to the same group with 10,000+ members doesn’t necessarily mean you know the person trying to friend you. Facebook figures it’s better to be safe and warn you that the connection seems weak or distant.
The account has been reported or banned before
If the account requesting to be your friend has a history of policy violations, Facebook will err on the side of warning you. Accounts that have been banned or frequently reported for spammy behavior in the past are more likely to be malicious.
Facebook has complex machine learning algorithms that try to identify high-risk accounts based on their past activities. If the account has been flagged for suspicious behavior before, Facebook will suggest you think twice before accepting their friend request.
When to accept the friend request
The “You may not know this person” message doesn’t necessarily mean you should ignore or decline the request. Here are some cases when it may be fine to accept a flagged request:
- It’s an acquaintance you’ve met in person before. You likely have few if any mutual friends.
- It’s a new coworker or client contact who wants to connect professionally.
- It’s a friend-of-a-friend who was described to you previously.
- It’s someone you know personally but who has a sparse or new Facebook profile.
- It’s a local business or organization reaching out to connect with customers.
Use your own judgment when deciding whether to accept a flagged request. If you can verify the person’s identity and you want to be connected, go ahead and confirm the request. Just be a little more careful with complete strangers whose identities you can’t easily confirm.
When to decline or ignore the friend request
Here are some cases where you should think twice and probably decline the friend request:
- It’s someone completely unfamiliar with zero identifiable profile information.
- It’s someone claiming to know you but you have no memory of them.
- It’s someone who found you through search or browsing friends of friends.
- It’s someone asking you to click odd links or requesting personal information.
- It’s someone aggressively asking for money or donations.
- It’s a spam-like account with a history of sending blanket requests.
Use good judgment when evaluating sketchy friend requests. If anything seems weird or suspicious, or you can’t confirm the person’s identity, it’s safest to just decline or delete the request. Remember, declining just means you don’t become Facebook friends – it’s not a personal insult. You can always accept later if you change your mind or learn more about who the person is. When in doubt though, trust Facebook’s warning that you may not actually know the person.
Protecting yourself from suspicious requests
Here are some tips to protect yourself from unwanted friend requests and identify scammer accounts:
- Adjust your privacy settings so only friends of friends can send you requests. This adds a layer of verification.
- Be skeptical of requests from accounts with little information or no profile photo.
- Hover over the name on a suspicious request to see if the account was recently created.
- Search for the name on the account to see if it’s associated with a real person.
- Check for any other activity history from the account besides your friend request.
- Never accept requests in exchange for money or personal information.
- Report spam accounts to Facebook so they can be removed.
Following basic precautions will help ensure mystery friend requests don’t compromise your Facebook experience. And always trust your instincts – if a request seems fishy, Facebook is probably right to warn you.
Conclusion
Facebook’s “You may not know this person” message is there to protect you from potentially unwanted interactions. It appears when an account seems unusually disconnected from you and your friends, or exhibits other red flags like being brand new or lacking info. While not every flagged request is malicious, it’s best to carefully evaluate ones that Facebook warns you about. Accept requests selectively after verifying identities, especially if they come from total strangers. And don’t hesitate to decline or report suspicious requests – it’s better to err on the side of caution when it comes to your privacy and security.