ReputationDefender has blogged about the rise of Social Networks and the importance of Online Identity Management for professionals in the digital age before. From parents setting up Facebook profiles to job seekers looking to protect their reputation on the internet by grooming their Google results, the lives we lead online are remarkably visible.

But they are not always honest. According to Valleywag, an internet marketer is selling ten Facebook profiles on the internet auction site eBay. Each fake Facebook account is active and has over 200 friends. eBay has closed the auction but luckily, the ‘wag was able to snip some information from the listing before it disappeared, and it reads pretty interesting:

I am the owner of ten Facebook profiles. Every single one of my profiles has at minimum 200 friends. I have aggregated the friends for each persona organically. I will briefly mention the manner in which I compiled a list of genuine friends for each persona.

Step 1: Develop a persona with an intense interest on specific subjects/topics
Step 2: Integrate that individual into communities/forums based on their interests
Step 3: Stimulate conversation inside communities/forums and interact with other users
Step 4: Establish the persona inside the communities/forums
Step 5: Begin to add friends organically

The profiles have their own personalities and interests, and include Carrie, a 26 year old fashionista and Michael, a 42 year old intellectual with two kids. This post again raises concerns about the fluid nature of online identity, and people should be careful what information they share online.

In closing, one of the commenters may have said it best:  Someone has finally figured out how to monetize Facebook.

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