Another hoax is making the rounds on Facebook. As with most of them, the more urgent and sensational they are the quicker they spread. Here is the latest message that is showing up on Newsfeeds everywhere:

“URGENT URGENT ……… To all the parents whose children have a profile on facebook! There is a man who tries to make contact with the children to talk about sex. His name is Thierry Mairot. please, copy and paste on your wall! Thank you for protecting your children! PLEASE share as an emergency. He poses as Justin Bieber! His profile appears as Justin Bieber! PLEASE share NFSE”

Snopes confirms that this story is bogus. There has not been a corroborating news story on this particular person.

What parents should keep in mind is that it really doesn’t matter what the name of a sexual predator is. They are chameleons and will change their names, personalities and behaviors to lure in the innocent. Sexual deviants are known to target social networking sites and the Internet when they are searching for their next victim. Children should be made aware of these dangers and should be instructed on the proper use of Facebook, the Internet and other tools that can be exploited by those who would do them harm.

Spreading false information doesn’t really help anyone. Always spend a few minutes and check the facts before passing warnings along to your friends.

If you or your Facebook friends are falling for tricks like this, it’s time to get yourself informed of the latest threats. Be sure to join the Facecrooks community of over 120,000 fans on Facebook to be kept informed of the latest security issues.