Via Guest blogger Robyn Michaels:
My Facebook account got hacked. I ended up with no control at all over my account. I could not even see my account. So the friends who had posted to me that I got hacked - I never saw those messages at all. The hacker even took them down. Over almost a two week period, the hacker made contact with most everyone on my Messenger. Even people I was not friends with! Apparently, just because we had talked at some point in time, then the hacker believed it was okay to talk to them. When I did regain control of my account, I noticed they had talked to people I had not talked to on Messenger for many years! The hacker had also cloned my account and made me friends with it. Why? I have no idea. As soon as I was able to I notified Facebook Security, but they said it was a valid account and left it there. So I unfriended myself and blocked it. They had also sent out a bunch of friend requests to friends of friends. Some of those folks even accepted. So they talked to them. Posing as me. Ugh! What a nightmare to clean up. I am still trying to clean up Messenger and get my friends back that I lost. Tedious job, and sometimes impossible.
Many of my friends knew right away that it was not me talking to them. Some did not and tried doing what the hacker wanted them to do. As far as I am aware, only 1 friend ended up getting hacked from this fiasco. Some stopped in time. Others did not even engage. And some had fun with it - the hacker did not like that and blocked them.
How did this happen? I had been so careful all these years. I will tell you how it happened. A “friend” messaged me about 5am. She said she could not get into her Facebook account and would I help her. I thought she had added me to her “trusted contacts” and just didn’t tell me. That was exactly the procedure this scenario was like. And also typical of her. So I obliged. Wrong move! I thought I got her hacked. Turns out that she got me hacked! Ugh! Apparently Facebook had stopped “trusted contacts” and I was not aware of that tidbit of info. There are many ways hackers get in. I can only talk about my experience. I tried getting control of my account again, but it did not work. Every time Facebook Security sent me an email code, they emailed the hacker too. I ended up having to upload my ID to Facebook Security and wait. And wait, and wait, and wait! Finally I tried again and uploaded my ID again. With that message I told them that they cannot keep sending me and the hacker the code because it is going nowhere. They finally got me back into my account! It took long enough. And lots of damage was done while waiting. But I got control back! Yay! My patience paid off. Side note: if you make a new account then you usually cannot get your old account back. This is why they give you the option of trying to get your account back or making a new account.
What has this experience taught me? It has taught me to not have anyone on my list that I have no other way to contact them - in case something like this happens. I have friends I might never get back because I cannot reach them another way. I did get a friend back who told me that several people were sending her messages that I was back and could not reach her. Some of the people who reached out to her don’t even know me! We just had a mutual friend who asked them to help out and they did! I am grateful for them being willing to help. Thankfully she got back in touch with me. It taught me that people who love me will bend over backwards to try to help me - no questions asked. As flattering as that is, it could also be dangerous. Like in this case. Be careful out there, People! It has taught me that some people I need to be more specific with - such as “my Facebook was hacked so don’t talk to me on there because it isn’t me!” because some folks don’t realize Messenger is part of Facebook too, so they still talked to them and some even tried to help me anyway. It taught me that some people know me so well that they knew it was not me right off the bat. My neighbor said he knew right away because I mostly always use proper grammar and punctuation. Then he asked how my trip to another state was and they answered him that it went well. He watched my home while I would go somewhere. He knew I did not go there. He called them names so they blocked him. WTG, neighbor!
Tips and hints to not get into this kind of situation. If anyone messages you at 5am and doesn’t need a ride to the ER or work, ignore them. It does not matter who it is. You gotta be careful out there! Anyone who truly is a friend will understand that. There are no “trusted contacts” anymore on Facebook, be aware of this tidbit of info! Have a separate email just for Facebook, that way they cannot hack your email too. I had this set up but forgot my email password. I had to make another email to get my account back. Instagram is also part of Facebook. It is helpful to have a different password for that account and to not have them connected. I did not, but they did not do much damage to my Instagram. That account was easy to clean up. Check your “log ins” on all 3 places - Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Make sure you know it is you and not some random person or hacker. Check your settings often. I use to check mine every other day. On occasion something could be switched from where you set it. Keep up on it!
A final word to keep in mind. Make sure your friends know your pattern for asking for help from them. The friends who tried to help me - I would never have asked for help from them thru Messenger. I have their phone numbers. I would just call or text them thru there if I honestly needed them. One of my friends tried so hard, but had no idea what they wanted her to do. She is not tech savvy at all. She said they had her in tears because she thought it was me and that I was mad at her for not knowing how to do things. I asked her if I had ever asked her for help in the 40+ years we have known each other. She said no. I asked her if I ever talked to her like they talked to her. She said no. I told her after 40+ years I am not gonna start now either!
Some of my friends got the “I saw your name on the FJP list” message. There is no FJP list. Facebook does not do promotions like that. Some of my friends got both messages. Why, I have no idea. Hackers and scammers are an odd lot. Apparently they are dumb enough to believe that saying “What’s up, Dude” or “I’m bored” to my friends sounds like me. SMH! Thankfully my friends know I don’t talk like that!
Have fun out there, but be safe. Don’t knowingly put yourself at risk because it puts your friends at risk too. Thank you for reading this.
No comments:
Post a Comment