Rick's Daily Tips

Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!

  • Home
  • Rick’s Bio
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rick’s Tip Jar
  • Get My Tech Tips Newsletter
  • Recommended Tech Gear
  • Contact Me
You are here: Home / Tech News / Scam alert: Don’t fall for this irritating ‘video’ hoax on Facebook

Scam alert: Don’t fall for this irritating ‘video’ hoax on Facebook

Posted on April 28, 2022

As you probably know by now, Facebook is a favorite hangout for scammers, tricksters and hoaxers.

And as luck would have it, there’s another very irritating recurring hoax making the rounds yet again.

To be honest, I didn’t even know this hoax was back until this morning. I actually found out while working on a blog post.

Within about a 15 minute time frame I received Facebook messages from 7 different friends warning me not to “accept” a video titled “Sonia Disowns Rahul” because it was a virus that would “format” my mobile device.

Here’s the exact text of the message I received:

“Tell all contacts from your list not to accept a video called the “Sonia disowns Rahul”. It is a virus that formats your mobile. Beware it is very dangerous. They announced it today on the radio. Fwd this msg to as many as you can!“

While it’s certainly true that clicking on unvetted links and images on Facebook could possibly infect your computer or mobile device with a virus, the wording of this one makes it clear that this one is a hoax.

This “Sonia Disowns Rahul” warning message mimics an older viral hoax titled “Dance of the Pope”. In reality the “virus” is the warning message itself since it becomes viral after countless Facebook users forward it to all their friends.

Luckily, this hoax is no more dangerous than any other text message, but it certainly is annoying!

Bottom line: While hoaxes usually aren’t dangerous like viruses and phishing emails are, they can cause your Facebook friends to worry needlessly and add to the deluge of messages they receive every day.

My recommendation is to simply avoid clicking on anything you see on Facebook unless you know beyond a doubt that it is legit. That way you can stay safe without falling for hoaxes like this one.







Popular…

How do I ask you a tech question?

Step-by-step guide to completely ridding your PC of viruses and other malware

10 reasons why I recommend buying tech gear from Amazon

How to upscale video – Top 4 AI video enhancers in 2023


Advertise

Guest Post Guidelines

Want to ask me a tech question?

Handy Tech Resources

Privacy Policy

Computer Tips
Smartphone Tips
Blogging Tips

Tech Q & A
Reviews
Tech News

Write for RicksDailyTips.com

Scam alerts
Downloads

Copyright © 2025 RicksDailyTips.com

Affiliate Disclaimer


Rick's Daily Tips is hosted by InMotion Hosting. Click here to find out why.

This blog uses cookies to ensure that you receive the best experience on my website. Please click 'Accept Cookies' to continue.