I think maybe my facebook account is hacked :-(

[Tronora]

Yesterday I received an email with "Do you wish to reset your password" and the reset code. I clicked on "I did not request to have my password reset"

 

The email looks legit, and I hope my fb has not been hacked. (The wording above is probably inaccurate, since the email I received was written in Norwegian.)

 

In Europe, we now have to accept to pay to use fb without commercials, or agree to be traced.

 

I have not accepted either. So I do not have any way to check.

 

Any advice?

 

My secular brother lives in Sweden, and the only contact we have, is on fb. Or the rare telephone call. I am reluctant to delete the account ...

[hatcheckgirl]

I googled it and came up with the Facebook help page. 
 

So, it may not be a hack as such. Here’s hoping. 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by hatcheckgirl

[Tronora]

Thank you, @hatcheckgirl  

 

 

I am anxious, since my brother's account was hacked a while ago.

 

The hacker used my brother's account to contact people via PM to ask for their phone number (also mine), but I suspected foul play, so I didn't reply. However, I told Facebook that my brother's account was compromized. (He has also been in contact with fb)

 

Again, thank you for your reply,  @hatcheckgirl 🌻

[Brandon]

Make sure you have 2FA enabled on any account 

[hatcheckgirl]

I learned something too!  Google is my friend 😁

[Stee]

I too received the same email. I just clicked that it wasn’t me. 

[Witness1970]

 

19 hours ago, Tronora said:

Yesterday I received an email with "Do you wish to reset your password" and the reset code. I clicked on "I did not request to have my password reset"

 

The email looks legit, and I hope my fb has not been hacked. (The wording above is probably inaccurate, since the email I received was written in Norwegian.)

 

In Europe, we now have to accept to pay to use fb without commercials, or agree to be traced.

 

I have not accepted either. So I do not have any way to check.

 

Any advice?

 

My secular brother lives in Sweden, and the only contact we have, is on fb. Or the rare telephone call. I am reluctant to delete the account ...

 

16 hours ago, Tronora said:

Thank you, @hatcheckgirl  

 

 

I am anxious, since my brother's account was hacked a while ago.

 

The hacker used my brother's account to contact people via PM to ask for their phone number (also mine), but I suspected foul play, so I didn't reply. However, I told Facebook that my brother's account was compromized. (He has also been in contact with fb)

 

Again, thank you for your reply,  @hatcheckgirl 🌻

Hacking is a word that many people use on Facebook.  Originally, hacking was a word that meant actually breaking into an account.  This takes a lot of computer savvy.  It is very easy to just copy a profile picture and a few pictures from your page,  Then they set up an account in your name and start sending friend requests to your friends.  Anyone who accepts the friend request will start getting PMs from that account.  At first, it might be the "Hi, how are type of message.  Then they will usually try to get them to go to a certain website or something like that.  It isn't actually hacking which is very hard, but is just a matter of simply copying a few items.  Changing the password has absolutely no effect.

 

I have a different problem.  My email address is randall.fields@gmail.com.  Facebook sent me email at randallfields@gmail.com with no dot in my name.  Over the years I started getting emails that were not meant for me.  One of them was a guy in Arizona whose name was Randall Fields.  He set up an account as randallfields@gmail.com.  It was a legitimate mistake.  I could not emaill him at randallfields@gmail.com because that email address came back to me.  He had an estimate from Lowe's in Arizona.  I finally found a phone number and called him and told him the mistake.

 

Another time I was getting info from an airline telling me I had frequent flyer miles I could use.  I had a confirmed reservation to fly from Savannah Georgia to Chattanooga Tennessee.  I once received pictures of a hangar in Virginia on a nacal base that said the pictures were not for public dissemination.  I contacted one guy and said, "Then you shouldn't be sending them to me."  Those emails stopped after that.

 

Another time I was getting emails from a doctor in Michigan confirming that I had an appointment.  I definitely am not driving all those miles to Michigan to see a doctor.  I found the doctor on the internet and told him the mistake.  Those emails stopped.

 

Recently, I a getting emails from colleges.  Apparently, someone is searching for a college to go to.  They are legitimate colleges.

 

On several occasions I have tried to set up an email address with randallfields@gmail to stop other people from setting it up.  I always have gotten the message that the email address is no available.  I guess I need to time it right so that I can get that email address when someone else does not have it.

 

 

[Tronora]

So sorry to hear about your email troubles. @Witness1970! I don't use my google mail. I had to register one, since I own an android phone, but I've actually never checked it   My (other) emails doesn't have my name in it as such.

 

Thank you for the clarifying on hacking. I think what you are describing (copying imgs etc) is what happended to my brother, in addition to that he no longer can access his old, original account anymore (and the phone number request came from that account).

 

I have hesitated to use 2-factor authentification, @Brandon I read that fb used the phone numbers!! Maybe it was a slip up. Or something that stopped. I should probably use 2FA, but since I am in the thinking box about my whole fb-adventure, IDK ...

 

Thanks, @Stee! I guess it is not that unusual, then   There are many with my name on fb.

[Brandon]

18 minutes ago, Tronora said:

I should probably use 2FA

you should and it has nothing to do with phone numbers—or, it doesn’t have to. 
 

the best way to implement 2FA on any account is through your authenticator app or password manager. Authy is a common authenticator app for example. 

[Tronora]

I don't have a password manager. Way back when fb offered 2FA, it asked for phone numbers. Good to see that it doesn't have to involve that.

[Witness1970]

15 hours ago, Tronora said:

Thank you for the clarifying on hacking. I think what you are describing (copying imgs etc) is what happended to my brother, in addition to that he no longer can access his old, original account anymore (and the phone number request came from that account).

Normally when an account is copied, you do not lose access to your old account.  I don't understand that one.  But then, I don't have enough computer knowledge to actually hack into someone's account.