Just last week, during the last week of November and first week of December, Facebook users were urged to change their profiles into cartoon characters, all in the name of preventing child abuse. Originally the campaign, which has a Facebook page entitled “Campaign to end violence against children,” asked Facebook users to switch profile pictures to their favorite cartoon character, in order to make a stand against child abuse.

The announcement on the page stated, “This is a non-profit campaign from an unnamed volunteer who aims to raise awareness about Worldwide Violence Against Children and Child Abuse through simple gesture of changing your Facebook Profile Picture into your favorite childhood cartoon characters. Changing your profile pictures is only the first step. To make a real difference, DONATE to your children charity or organization of choice.”

The Facebook also linked to the NSPCC children’s charity while also urging users to donate to other charity organizations dedicated to fighting child abuse.

Within literally hours, tens of thousands of users were changing the profile pictures into Homer Simpson, Betty Boop, Sponge Bob Square Pants and hundreds of other characters.

Then, within a day or so, rumors starting flying around that the whole thing was a hoax designed by pedophiles looking to add young Facebook users to their accounts.

That news went viral, and word was spreading like wildfire.

Celebrity Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg himself even joined the fray, saying that the page was not a scam, however no nonprofit charity organization has gone public to claim accountability or responsibility for the profile picture change request.

Now, here’s the catch. Why would hundreds of thousands of Facebook users change their profile pictures? Is that gesture in itself raising money for any child abuse organization? Of course not. Many people are being lulled into the false belief that their simple act of changing their profile picture will actually affect change and generate instant dollars for the name of child abuse.

While the cartoon character debacle was clearly not a hoax, nor was it an organized campaign by a respected and well-known nonprofit charity organization. It was simply a “game” started by someone on a Greek island back in November that morphed into a viral frenzy.

The great actor W.C. Fields once said, and the popular phrase still applies: “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Seems like they might be born every second on Facebook.