Example: [Gathered on Facebook in February 2019, archived here]
WARNING TO ALL PARENTS WITH CHILDREN THAT HAVE ANY ELECTRONIC DEVICES , EX : IPOD,TABLETS ETC …. THERE IS A SITE CALLED TALKING ANGELA , THIS SITE ASKS KIDS QUESTIONS LIKE : THERE NAMES , WHERE THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND ALSO TAKE PICTURES OF THEIR FACES BY PUSHING A HEART ON THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER WITHOUT ANY NOTICES . PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILDREN’S IPODS AND ALL TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS APP !!! PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE KIDS !!!!
Parents, take no chances. The life you save may be your very own child’s!!! Amen
Findings: The “Talking Angela” warning is a hoax according to security software experts at Sophos, who described the warnings “bogus” in a February 25 2013 article:
The truth is that “Talking Angela” appears to be entirely benign, and there are no obvious privacy concerns that differentiate it from thousands of other iPhone apps.
Indeed, the “Talking Angela” app is no different from other similar popular children’s apps from reputable iOS developer Out Fit 7 Ltd, including “Talking Tom Cat”, “Talking Ben the Dog” and “Talking Gina the Giraffe”.
The Sophos article said that in 2013, the bogus warning was “spreading across Facebook, telling parents of young children to watch out for a rogue iPhone/iPad app that (the warning claims) steals children’s names, details of where they go to school, and even takes secret pictures of their faces.”
This hoax was brought to light in 2013 but not many such warnings stay dead long. One year later it has risen from the ashes and people are posting all over Facebook.
Sophos recommended parents play close attention to the Internet activity of their children saying, “it’s always a good idea to keep a close eye on what children are doing on the internet – in case they get themselves into a spot of bother.”
Originally published: February 13 2014
Updated: February 27 2019
