Facebook removes purported page of S.D. Powerball winner

The profile, set up soon after Neal Wanless collected his prize Friday, quickly collected more than 120 "friends."

"Must be nice! Being a single mom of 3 kids, I could definitely use a lottery win right now … maybe then I could actually afford a house … keep on dreaming … right?" one poster wrote.

The Facebook page was created using Wanless' real name, complete with a profile picture of a cowboy riding into the sunset — the cowboy's face was not clearly visible. On the profile's information page was: "Looking For: Dating."

"We've investigated this account and disabled it," Axten said in response to questions about whether the profile was legitimate.

"Facebook has always been based on a real-name culture," Axten said in a statement. "We think this leads to greater accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for our users.

"It's a violation of our policies to use a fake name or operate under another person's identity, and we encourage users to report anyone they think is doing this, either through the report links we provide on the site or through the contact forms on our Help page."

Axten did not identify who set up the profile. The Facebook spokesman said he couldn't comment on the possibility of charges, but the company generally doesn't press for them against people who build fake accounts.

"We feel that our resources are better spent building and improving our systems for detection and responding quickly to reports," Axten said.

Wanless couldn't be immediately reached for comment on the situation.

Before the profile was shut down, the page included several messages of well-wishes and an icon of a pink heart with the message "Neal is sending free hugs to friends."

There also are jubilant responses to winning the lottery from the person managing the profile, such as this one: "YESSSSSSSSSS!"

Mike Nitz, an associate professor of communication studies at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., says it is "certainly possible to create a false identity on Facebook.

"All you need is an e-mail, and that's really it," says Nitz, who uses Facebook for his classes.

But many issues — such as who owns the photos and other content posted to Facebook — are far from being resolved.

"It's really kind of a wild, wild West out there with the legal issues," Nitz says.

Martin reports for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.