Are Your Central New York Facebook Friends Undercover Federal Agents?
Just when you thought it was safe to go on the internet in Central New York, think again. Some of your so-called Facebook friends may actually be FBI/CIA agents.
Now this might sound crazy, but it may be true. How many of your Facebook friends do you truly know? Do you only add people you know? Or, do you add strangers thinking "you may know them"?
According to internal Justice Department documents, U.S. law enforcement agents are going undercover with false online profiles to communicate with suspects and gather private information. Think you know who’s behind that “friend” request? Think again.
The document, obtained in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, makes clear that U.S. agents are already logging on surreptitiously to exchange messages with suspects, identify a target’s friends or relatives and browse private information such as postings, personal photographs and video clips."
Granted, if you're not a criminal you probably don't have anything to worry about. You will just have to keep an extra eye open for strangers going forward.