Why do I suddenly have people from Turkey, etc, wanting to be Facebook friends?

It’s a scam. They didn’t pick you out specially. It can happen to anyone. Just ignore them. Or better yet, block them.
Next time don’t even chat with anyone that you don’t have any friends in common with. And never, ever accept a friend request from someone like that either.

Why not accept their friendship? What are they going to do to me? I mean, besides annoying me. One of them hasn’t given me any trouble at all.

It’s your life. Invite known hackers and scam artists on in. Let them find out as much about you as they possibly can. It’s up to you.
You might want to save some time, though, and just message them with all your personal information, like your SS number, bank accounts, credit cards, etc.

Well, I did lie about where I live. I keep switching states. I hate to think that you believe I am so stupid and naive that I’d give them bank and credit card numbers. Surely you jest?
And you say, ”known hackers. I didn’t know about that.

If they’re running a scam, do you want to give them access to your friends list? I would worry less about how stupid you think we think you are, and more about just what you don’t think twice about on FB. I found out where an old college roommate who revealed almost nothing was by simply noticing that she “liked” a number of businesses in a small town in the south. (Not as weird as it sounds, I wanted to inform her of the passing of another roommate.)
There is all sorts of information you reveal without really thinking about it.

I appreciate the concern and I think I’m learning some things. It just never dawned on me that people who live abroad and can barely speak English would have either the desire or the ability to find out my personal information.

Don’t assume they can “barely speak English”. We tend (humans, not just Americans) to think that someone who presents themself as somewhat ignorant of our language is more innocent, more trustworthy. It’s a standard con trick. As far as “ability”, my French is extremely rusty, but my “ability” to handle information gathering is pretty good. In a conversation I would present as a bumbling foreigner, but I could do very well once the door was opened.

What do you mean they wouldn’t have the “desire” to find out information that they could use to rip you off? That’s how you MET these people, while they were in the process of trying to rip you off!

They are quite possibly migrants who are stuck in Turkey with nothing to do but waste time and chance their arms. I don’t think they are professional scammers but that doesn’t mean you should give them any personal information. That would be foolish.

I certainly wouldn’t have them on my friend’s list. Could be bored migrants, could be professionals waiting for a new “friend” to let them have access to their computer for some reason. Like, if she posts that she’s having problems, they can tell her how to let them log in to her computer so they can fix it. I’ve considered doing that with some fluther folks, like ETPro, when I couldn’t figure something out.

@flutherother: read the part in the details about the one million dollars.

You do realize, do you not, that these guys sell (or exchange quid pro quo) names and contacts of people who have responded positively to them in any small way at all?

If you dont want to see a steady stream of this type of scamming attempts, you need to cut them off immediately. Block them. Do not reply any further.

Otherwise, prepare yourself for a steady stream of these jerks and eventually one who is a little subtler than the rest, actually puts time into developing a “relationshio” with you until youre convinced that he’s different from the rest. He really really cares about you. He would never stoop to trying to scam you.

And then, he’s in an accident or some medical emergency and his funds are being withheld and he just needs a small temporary loan of a few hundred to help him in this time of desperate need and he will repay you in less than a month, promise. So, since its not for millions or thousands like typical scammers, you know he’s different, etc etc…...until you are so emotionally and financially hooked that the sky’s the limit eventually. Its called a long game con and there are a few with the patience and time to pursue it.

In order to DECREASE your chances of encountering this type who is more psychologically sophisticated, you have to be absolutely ruthless about immediately cutting them ALL off at the knees.

Joke around with people you already know. Don’t give these scammers one iota of your time no matter how “pleasant” they seem. This is one “desirable” list that you definitely dont want to be on.

Do you REALLY think its just a coincidence that you were contacted by three of these guys in the same short period of time? Really?

They all know each other and passed your name among each other figuring if one struck out, another might have a chance. To encourage one of them even slightly (even just by joking around a bit) is to encourage all of them and get you on a suckers list.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE.

You already said they tried to bullshit you with the million dollars in a suitcase in Istanbul crap.

Unfriend them, block them and be done with any more contact from them. You don’t want them knowing anything about you, including your name, even if they don’t know what state you live in They could find your address very easily using a people finding site, like Zabasearch or Spokeo. You don’t know who they know in the US. It’s all bad and I don’t see the point in being in touch with these scammer types.

Thanks guys. From now on , if I can’t pronounce their names, they get blocked. It seems racist but I’ll do it !!

@Aster

Don’t accept friend requestions from people you don’t know, period. I have some good friends with exotic names but I’ll accept them rather than a random “John Smith” any day.

Just my $0.02.

I have hundreds of nice friends I never “knew” before Facebook. Most of them are married women, some are married men and others are friends or relatives of my daughter. All seem to be very family oriented and I have no complaints.

Ooops. That was probably me. Sorry. I must have left a door open while going through your tabs and history.

By the way, flo, you should be ashamed of yourself.

@Espiritus_Corvus: You mean @Aster?

Ha. Edit. @Aster.