Hi all,
The best solution to avoid these situations is to activate two-factor
authentication with SMS message. This will change the login to your
Facebook account and require to input a code that's being sent over a
text message, after entering the username and password.
Here is the official guide from the Facebook help page:
https://www.facebook.com/help/1756727521321961?helpref=faq_content
When you turn on two-factor authentication [2], you're asked to choose
either a security key, text message (SMS) codes or a third-party
authentication app as your primary security method. If you choose to use
text message (SMS), you'll be sent a text message (SMS) with a special
6-digit security code each time someone tries logging into your Facebook
account from a mobile device or browser we don't recognize.
Note: Please make sure you are viewing your personal profile before
starting the steps below.
To turn on text message (SMS) codes for your mobile device:
* Click on your profile picture in the top right, then click Settings
and privacy.
* Click Settings.
*
Click Accounts Center, then click Password and security.
* Click Two-factor authentication, then click on the account you'd
like to update.
* Click Text message (SMS), then click Next.
* Select a phone number already on your account, or add a new phone
number, and click Next.
Note: Not everyone will be able to access this setting in Accounts
Center at this time. If these steps don't work for you, try this:
* Go to your Security and Login Settings [3].
* Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit.
* Click Text message (SMS) when you're asked to select a security
method and follow the on-screen instructions.
* Once you've turned on text message (SMS) codes, you should also set
up a second security feature, such as a security key [4], trusted
contacts [5] or recovery codes [6]. This helps to protect you in case
your mobile phone is lost, stolen or hacked.
Other Useful Resources
* Text message (SMS) security codes used for two-factor authentication
are always 6 digits long.
* To set up text message (SMS) two-factor authentication, you can
either use a mobile number that's already been added to your account or
add a new number. Learn more [7] about how Facebook uses a mobile number
added for two-factor authentication.
* If you're not receiving your text message (SMS) verification codes,
you may have turned off text messages from Facebook. Learn how to turn
text messages (SMS) back on [8].
* If you want to turn off text message (SMS) codes and use a different
security method for two-factor authentication instead, you'll need to
have have a third-party authentication app turned on or a security key
added to your account to do this.
* You can disable text message (SMS) verification codes by clicking or
tapping Turn off next to the mobile phone number you want to stop using.
If you don't have a third-party authentication app turned on or a
security key added to your account, turning off your mobile phone number
will also turn off two-factor authentication.
* You can turn back on text message (SMS) codes for a mobile phone by
clicking or tapping Use two-factor authentication, then Text message.
Click or tap on the mobile phone number you want to start using again
and follow the on-screen instructions.
* Learn more about managing two-factor authentication [9] settings.
* Learn about what you can do if you turned on two-factor
authentication but are now having trouble logging in [10].
Note: Facebook doesn't charge you for using text messages (SMS) for
two-factor authentication. However, your mobile provider's standard
rates for sending and receiving messages still apply.
All the best,
-Adrian
On 2023-09-24 15:05, John Acton wrote:
Hi Tony
Sorry to hear that and I don't have a solution. Like you I was hacked 2 years ago when my brother flagged that I was promoting Christmas trees. At that time I googled to find a solution which involve logging out and reentering your password and creating a new password as well as some confirmation on the phone. When i was logging out my account was in Polish but soon was back to English in the end. I only used Facebook to get in touch with the Parkrun guide runners. A few weeks ago I tapped on Facebook and it was in Polish again and presumed to be hacked again. I have now deleted the app from the phone. I use Whatapp instead.
John
On Sat, 23 Sept 2023 at 19:43, Tony Sweeney <tonymsweeney@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Question I'm at my wits' end. My Facebook account has been hacked twice
and my friends have been contacted by the scammers. I don't know where
to turn or what to do and Facebook doesn't seem to be much help. I'm
thinking of just giving up Facebook as it's not worth it.
- Barbara O'Mahony
X-archive-position: 9387
X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0
Sender: fb-exchange-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Errors-to: fb-exchange-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
X-original-sender: tonymsweeney@xxxxxxxxx
Precedence: normal
Reply-To: fb-exchange@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
List-Help: <mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=help>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:fb-exchange-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=unsubscribe>
List-software: Ecartis version 1.0.0
List-Id: fb-exchange <fb-exchange.freelists.org [1]>
X-List-ID: fb-exchange <fb-exchange.freelists.org [1]>
List-Subscribe: <mailto:fb-exchange-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe>
List-Owner: <mailto:>
List-post: <mailto:fb-exchange@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
List-Archive: <https://www.freelists.org/archive/fb-exchange>
X-list: fb-exchange
Answer First of all, don't panic. If what's happening to you is what I
think, your own personal information hasn't been compromised. You
haven't actually been hacked at all.
There's a basic, garden-variety scam that happens on Facebook. A scammer
copies your profile's photo. They then set up an account using the same
name as you. They then scour your 'friends' list and send them 'friend'
invitations, using their newly-formed fake account that has your name
and, it seems, your photo.This is very common. What then happens is that
at least a couple of your friends, who may not use Facebook that much
but dip in every month or so, will see that 'friend' request and assume
that some glitch in the system disconnected them. So they'll accept the
'friend' request without looking down too much through the fake account
(which will have no other photos and probably no other 'friends'). The
next thing to occur is that they'll get a 'Messenger' message from this
new account with anything that ranges from 'Hi, how are you?' to some
request for something. As I said, this is a very common, low-level scam.
It happens to almost everyone I know on Facebook. But it's not one that
compromises your own personal data in any way, but could lure one or two
of your friends - the non-savvy ones - into a scamadjacent scenario.
Common scam: requests
The way to deal with it is to report the impersonation account. Your
opportunity to do so will typically happen when one of your actual
friends tells you they just got a strange message from you. You can then
ask them to report that account (on a phone, it's the three dots at the
top right hand of the screen). And you should do the same if you see a
'friend' request from someone you're already friends with.
It's a fair question as to why Facebook doesn't do more to cut this
stuff out. With all of its AI power, why can't it detect an obvious copy
of a profile photo to query it? My guess is that, in time, it will get
better at stamping this out.
In the meantime, don't worry too much about it. This is one of those
things that we'll all just learn to spot and get used to, like text
message scams about unpaid tolls.
Email your questions to aweckler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================================
The fb-exchange mailing list
Manage account,
List Page: https://www.freelists.org/list/fb-exchange
Archive: https://www.freelists.org/archive/fb-exchange
To unsubscribe: log onto the List page and select "Unsubscribe".
Administrative contact: insight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================================
