The following hoax has been circulating on Facebook recently:

14 YEAR OLD BOY WAS SHOT 6 TIMES BY HIS STEPFATHER,THIS BOY WAS PROTECTING HIS LITTLE 2 YEARS OLD SISTER WHO WAS ABOUT TO BE RAPED BY THIS POOR EXCUSE OF A MAN.THE LITTLE GIRL DID NOT GET HURT THANKS TO HER BRAVE OLDER BROTHER.THEIR MOM WAS A WORK WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED.NOW THIS BRAVE YOUNG MAN IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE ,BUT DOCTORS SAY HE WILL NOT SURVIVE UNLESS HE GETS AN OPERATION WHICH IS VERY COSTFUL AND WHICH HIS MOM CANNOT PAY.ALL FACEBOOK COMPANIES HAVE AGREED TO DONATE 45 CENTS FOR EVERY TIME SOMEONE POSTS THIS TO THEIR WALL,SO PLEASE PASTE AND PASS THIS ON SO THAT TOGETHER WE CAN HELP SAVE THIS BOYS LIFE

This story is unfounded. According to Snopes, there are several variations of this hoax going on at any given time. Some of them ask you to forward a text message, an email, etc. Supposedly, the victim will receive a certain amount of money for each message that is forwarded. Disregard and do not spread any such messages, as virtually all of them are certain to be a hoax.

Always take a moment to check the facts before spreading messages and warnings on Facebook.

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 95,000 fans on Facebook to be kept informed of the latest security issues.

Recommended Resources

BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams like this.

PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.

Do Not Track + is a FREE browser plugin created by Abine. This easy to install plugin keeps websites from tracking you. If you value your online privacy, then you should definitely take advantage of this free product.

Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.