Asking this on behalf of my Niece who recently has had her Facebook account stolen.
I'm not really ofay on such things as Facebook, and was wondering if anyone else could suggest something she could do or contact someone?
The thief has changed my Niece's profile photo for one of her own (or it could be anyone's photo to be honest). But has left all the other photos in albums etc still there, as well as my Niece's name for a while, but that's now been changed. The only other thing that has been changed is her "about" page.
It's quite distressing for my Niece, and although she does have copies of her photos stored elsewhere, she feels violated by this thief who is still displaying photos of her child, late grandparents and the like to the whole wide world.
She reported the matter to Facebook, but they are no help whatsoever and have since closed the case that was raised.
The thief is now trying to blackmail my Niece by saying she will remove the photos if she's pays her some money through CashApp, and to verify my Niece has previous ownership of the Facebook account wants her password, email address, photo ID (passport or drivers licence) and phone number. To my mind the thief is going the whole hog and trying to steal my Niece's identity too.
She has again raised the issue with Facebook, and they have replied, saying "sorry, but this doesn't go against our community standards"
If it wasn't for the personal photos still on the FB account, she would just tell the thief to FO and then get on with her life.
Like I said, can anyone make any suggestions as to what my Niece can do about this?
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How was it stolen? Guessable password? The reason I ask is that it would help be sure that it was not someone close to her.
If it is not someone close, then it is some hacker after her details to use elsewhere in identity theft or to access more accounts. If you think about it the thief has no need to prove her identity if she pays, which is all he cares about.
The thief has no interest in your niece, her photos or anything else other than ID & money.
Realistically the thief is not displaying the photo to the whole world any more than your niece did.
Essentially she needs to get over it and move on. The thief will do nothing more.
Has your daughter been through this process?....
www.facebook.com/help/203305893040179/
I suspect not since a community standards message is issued in response to complaints not attempts to recover.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 24 Feb 21 at 12:50
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To answer some questions.
I've no idea if they guessed the password, or simply hacked into the account. I'm sure she mentioned it, but it was back in Nov or Dec time last year. Everything went quiet until this week when the blackmail message came through. No idea if she's changed any other passwords on other social media sites and the like.
From the little bit of detective work carried out, the thief/hacker is from Alabama IIRC. A church goer, or even might be a Pastor. But then that could all be fake info on the FB profile.
>> Realistically the thief is not displaying the photo to the whole world any more than your niece did.
My Niece only displayed them to friends and family. I haven't checked (because the thief/hacker has blocked me from viewing the account, but I gather the privacy of the FB account has been changed, now allowing everything to be viewed.
>> Has your daughter Niece been through this process?.... www.facebook.com/help/203305893040179/
No idea. At the moment she can't seem to get past some computerised bot.
I found a UK phone number for FB, so she could try and speak to someone human, but the number is dead.
>> Essentially she needs to get over it and move on. The thief will do nothing more.
See my earlier comment. She's cut up about the personal photos still on the FB account.
>> Zero:- Two things come to mind.....The Blackmail attempt was a bad idea, I would try and get a crime reference number......
Thanks Zero, I'll mention your suggestion.
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>> the thief/hacker has blocked me from viewing the account
email me the name.
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>> email me the name.
Will do shortly. Although I do have a "spare" FB account which I've just used to confirm my Niece's photos are still all there for everyone to see on her FB account that was stolen.
I thought her name had been changed, but it hasn't. The thief is still using my Niece's name, but changed the profile photo. But we've also found another FB account which also matches that photo too. Some of the other "about" info also matches too.
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>> Zero:- Two things come to mind.....The Blackmail attempt was a bad idea, I would try and get
>> a crime reference number......
>
>Thanks Zero, I'll mention your suggestion.
With all due respect;
"Yes Officer, a man pretending to be a pastor in Alabama has allegedly taken control of my [niece's] Facebook account. No, he hasn't threatened anything, nor has he done anything, no he won't give it back unless she proves who she is, yes that does sound reasonable, yes it's photos that she had already put on the internet herself, no I can't prove it was him, no I don't actually know who he is, but I want my account back.
What do you mean there's nothing you can do?"
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I'm sure the police will think they have other things to do, but hasn't it now become a sort of extortion? Not to mention the obvious attempt at identity theft?
Last edited by: Manatee on Wed 24 Feb 21 at 13:21
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A further thought, she has changed her password on everything else, right? Including the email account that Facebook is linked to?
Quite why anyone would put all their personal information on show and then not be careful with security is quite beyond me.
It seems a most common failing these days is people who use the same password in more than many places.
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Missed the edit....
The best and easiest is two-factor authorisation. It absolutely stops someone from accessing your Facebook account from an unknown device or browser.
Do encourage her to use it.
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Two things come to mind
1/ Facebook has 2.8 billion users, she hasnt managed to get past the automated gatekeeper to get anyone to look into the matter, or got to the right department -you need to get a way past that. - see point 2
2/ The Blackmail attempt was a bad idea, the hacker has now committed a criminal offence under the computer mis-use act, I would try and get a crime reference number, and then use that to get back into facebook and get the account shut down.
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>> Two things come to mind
>>
>> 1/ Facebook has 2.8 billion users, she hasnt managed to get past the automated gatekeeper
>> to get anyone to look into the matter, or got to the right department -you
>> need to get a way past that. - see point 2
>>
>> 2/ The Blackmail attempt was a bad idea, the hacker has now committed a criminal
>> offence under the computer mis-use act, I would try and get a crime reference number,
>> and then use that to get back into facebook and get the account shut down.
I think that covers it.
Trying to think what I'd do in that circumstance. As long as she's got the pictures and anything else that matters outside of the FB account what is she worried about?
If there are compromising pictures in there or she's been having 'lively' messenger chats with A.N. Other then there's a whole different complexion
Since I've nothing in my albums or my chats, even if with women I fancied 40 years ago, that would cause me to even blush a hi-jacker can stick their demands where the sun don't shine.
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>>'lively' messenger chats
Euphemism of the week award, right there.
>>Since I've nothing in my albums or my chats, even if with women I fancied 40 years ago, that would cause me to even blush a hi-jacker can stick their demands where the sun don't shine.
The best approach, without doubt.
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1) suck it up
2) if feeling wounded, see 1).
www.inc.com/jeff-bercovici/i-got-hacked.html
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Facebook account stolen - No FM2R
