Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Seriously bummed out Facebooker...

It pains me to type this - especially since my very last Blog on the topic of Social Networking for Parents....more specifically my 'drug' of choice: Facebook...BUT...

Sadly I'm a victim of a Facebook Account Hijacking. I'm VERY sad...seriously bummed...and obviously quite angry about this. My pictures, notes, information and most importantly my Friends are being held hostage by some entity and Facebook is doing NOTHING about it.

This 'person' and I use that word loosely, somehow got hold of my Facebook login and password. I say 'somehow' because I am VERY tech-savvy. I work in the industry and I know what's what. I keep my information close to home and do not broadcast contact information. But even still...they got me! Obviously - somewhere along the way it's my bad...but Facebook should have my back and right now they don't!

So - in the meantime...all my Friends are being contacted by this person, being told that me and my family are stranded in London after being robbed. They then are being asked for money on the pretense that they will "refund" the money after they "return to the states". I'm banking on the fact that my Friends will know better than to fall for this...but I know that many of them are indeed GOOD friends who are inclined to Help first...Ask Questions later...

I've done the "right" thing...I've filled out their forms...and had Friends fill out their forms and 12 hours later...still nothing. Well nothing from FB...because the Hijacker is STILL communicating with my Friends...posing as me...preying on their good-heartedness and fears. All the while...my main source of communication and networking has been cut off.

All they need to do is make it possible for me to access my OWN ACCOUNT. Simple: they need to restore my Contact Email to MY contact email...and reset my password. How difficult could this be???

Now I completely get that there are MILLIONS of users...and probably THOUSANDS send in Questions and Comments daily...BUT...as a website quality assurance engineer myself, I know that it wouldn't take much for a Developer to put together a down and dirty web application that would allow an Account holder to answer specific Security Questions in order to reclaim their OWN ACCOUNT.

In the meantime - I now am in the debacle: do I wait Facebook out? or do I let the 'hijacker' win and request all my 500 or so Friends to Remove my old account...so I can create a new one in hopes that this person will finally give up and abandon it?

Seriously Facebook - this shouldn't even be a dilemma!!

5 comments:

  1. Kate, that sucks!!! I say screw FB and start your own FB. Call it like, KM's Don't Get Hacked and Screwed Here.com I'm in for a few bucks to help you get off the ground.

    If a bunch of idiots from Harvard, or Yale I forget which one, can start FB....Imagine what you could do. I'll send you some start up cash and I know you are not in London.. :)

    Sorry this has happened to you.
    Pooner

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  2. Kate, not sure if this will ease your mind or not but you no longer show up in my friends list. And no one has contacted me claiming to be you.

    Your VT friend

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  3. It does ease my mind Cin...thank you! My biggest worry was that my Friends were being contacted by this "person"...I finally got an email this evening from Facebook...so hopefully my account will be mine again soon!

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  4. Kate,

    FYI, you are not my "Friend" either. Not sure what that means, but I hope it works out for you.

    Pooner

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  5. It's a step in the right direction Poon! thanks :)

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