A good rule of thumb: Don't accept friend requests unless you know the person.
That doesn't work all of the time, of course.
One way you can sort out evil requests from good ones, is to look at the requester's Facebook page.
Are the photos snapshots or are they professional shots? Real people don't post photos purchased from a stock photo site.
Photo situations: If you don't personally know someone with a yacht, don't accept a friend request from someone who has one. Look for photo situations similar to your own.
If you are unsure, message the friends you have in common with the requester to see if they really know them.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.