# Spam from Social Networking Sites?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927 "2007-08-08T21:58:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927/1 "2007-08-08T21:58:34Z")

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How likely or possible is it that a message from a friend of mine in MySpace is actually from a spammer?

I got a message from a female friend who I haven’t seen in a while, and it said “I think this is you at [howmature.com](http://howmature.com).” When you go to [howmature.com](http://howmature.com), you have to go through an upsell screen where they try to subscribe you to a text and ringtone service.

I don’t know how savvy the friend is with either computers or with these kinds of subscriptions. I think she sent it without thinking about the ringtone deal, but I also wonder if some nefarious force is working through her open account in myspace.

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**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927/2 "2007-08-08T22:15:44Z")

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By default anyone on Myspace can message you. I think it’s more probably someone has used their avatar and display name to send you the spam than actually phished their account info.

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**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927/3 "2007-08-08T23:05:21Z")

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People’s Myspaces get hacked all the time. Don’t know why or how, but it’s fairly common to get a bulletin from a friend who should know better proclaiming an easy way to get $200 Macy’s gift cards. Just flag as spam and tell your ninny friend to change their password.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927/4 "2007-08-09T03:39:15Z")

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Macy’s and Starbucks gift card comments from friends happen (or happened) pretty often.

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**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-from-social-networking-sites/414927/5 "2007-08-09T03:55:52Z")

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Either your friend clicked on a link that was some kind of script to make her send that to you or her myspace was phished