Facebook Problems

[Mandobart]

I know most of us are over 50, and many of our demographic don't do FB. Here is a problem that someone out there may be able to help with. It also describes a scam that some may not know about.

I've been on Facebook for many years. Its been a great way to find out what's going on, connect with old friends and family members, share and gain knowledge, etc.

Whenever you change something on your FB acount you get an email from them to confirm it was really you doing this, and if it was really me I don't have to do anything, otherwise here is the link to the security settings if it wasn't. About two months ago I started getting a few very official-looking FB emails a week saying someone had logged into my account in a city I'd never been to, and if it was really me I don't have to do anything, otherwise here is the link to fix it. Identical message, identical link, indistinguishable (by me) from the official security message. So I thought "thanks FB, I guess I should change my settings."

This same official looking message kept popping into my inbox with greater frequency. Each time I changed my password, etc. through the embedded link. Then I started getting similar messages about my Apple ID and banks or services I don't have. Then I got some weird videos posted to my FB page from "me."

So I logged into FB security settings from my FB page and reset everything and deleted the videos. Then I got the expected email message from FB informing me my account had been changed. Now today, I've received a message in the FB app that someone had attempted to log into my account from a strange location, so I changed the settings and password once again. Then about an hour later my account was blocked for suspicious activity. I think I'll just leave it blocked for a while.

Anyone else have a similar experience? I would recommend my AGF friends to not follow any links from an email, even if it looks totally legit.

[sdelsolray]

You got phished.

[imwjl]

Was the date and time stamp of the message telling? Did you check if the location was actually your ISP? Do you know how to identify spoofing? Do you practice good password management? Is your computer compromised?

[ManyMartinMan]

No. I doubt I'll ever be on anyone's radar that would want to waste time hacking me.

[Silurian]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Anyone else have a similar experience? I would recommend my AGF friends to not follow any links from an email, even if it looks totally legit.

Yes, this is rule number 1. Never click on these links. Log into the main site and check your settings from there.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

No. I doubt I'll ever be on anyone's radar that would want to waste time hacking me.

You'd be surprised. Sometimes done for financial gain, sometimes for fun, sometimes just because they can. If you're on FacePlant you're "on their radar ". Simple as that. Thinking anything else is naive. Stay off that garbage and you'll avoid lots of problems. Account suspended is the next to the best thing that can happen. Ther best is closing the account completely.

[harpspitfire]

facebook sucks, i cant see gaining knowledge on it, but if you want to connect with family and friends, use the phone

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Silurian

Yes, this is rule number 1. Never click on these links. Log into the main site and check your settings from there.

That makes no sense unless you're really meaning beware of a spoofed link. An example: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com is the same if it's in my browser address bar, in an email message, an electronic note, or written on paper. https:// maliciouscontent.com disguised as Acoustic Guitar Forum is what you have to watch out for.

Originally Posted by harpspitfire

facebook sucks, i cant see gaining knowledge on it, but if you want to connect with family and friends, use the phone

Yes, the company made privacy mistakes and it's an engine for spreading fake news, but it's also at size and scale with some features that it's not going away. I happen to gain a lot of knowledge from it I'm a data junkie and have a lot of interest in IT security.

This really seems like a general tech security post. Everyone should practice good password management and 2 factor authentication. That should include protecting your telephone account. Think about what a criminal has if they port your phone number. Do you recycle passwords? If yes look in the mirror and call yourself a fool. Start using a top rated password manager system.

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by harpspitfire

facebook sucks, i cant see gaining knowledge on it, but if you want to connect with family and friends, use the phone

Interesting suggestion. If I'm not using Facebook, how do you suggest I use my phone to connect with my family and friends? Instagram? Twitter? Text? Snapchat? Google+? Maybe something more modern?

[Silurian]

Originally Posted by imwjl

That makes no sense unless you're really meaning beware of a spoofed link.

Yes, that's what I meant.

[harpspitfire]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

Interesting suggestion. If I'm not using Facebook, how do you suggest I use my phone to connect with my family and friends? Instagram? Twitter? Text? Snapchat? Google+? Maybe something more modern?

i dont know, dial the number? LOL,

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by harpspitfire

i dont know, dial the number? LOL,

Hmm.. like Skype or FaceTime?

Btw, I hope you know I'm just joking around.

But I do hate talking in the phone...so ... :/

[imwjl]

I'm an enterprise IT manager. What is shocking and creepy is told by my security systems that extend to the public WiFi segments in our break rooms, stores, and cafes.

The network-based and DNS-based security tools I have use huge databases of known bad sites and content. The state of the art security appliances know sources and destinations of traffic. The intention is stop malicious traffic and malicious content from reaching a computer. It's to one up what anti-virus does. That's too late technology.

To the end user a web page might not load, parts of page can be blocked, and for company users they get a warning. I can drill down and learn much more. I have seen the foreign government manipulation that's in the news. Running lots of memes that get circulated show most to be false.

By the numbers this is a firm with around 750 employees. Our 9 public WiFi each get around 90 to 400 users a day. I also see the traffic from privileged vendors and contractors. I see operating system for computers, phones and tablets. A few scary things stand out.

1. Lots of fools who put down patches have compromised systems and they don't know it.
2. Facebook spreads in incredible amount of fake news.
3. There is a really good balance of demographics at these public sites. If you trust the most respected fact check organizations, I basically see a picture of one group of people being fed a whole lot of manipulative garbage.

I have an isolated, secure and can be wiped if infected test computer. At times I can see memes that also show up if you pursue Russian and China backed images.

This is not scientific, but more and more the Apple and Microsoft news sites look like safer ways to pursue a whole lot of info. Apple News has privacy in its design. Microsoft's doesn't get flagged.

All the data I can and at times have to look at has me really concerned.

[Kerbie]

Please keep this discussion within the rules.

[imwjl]

I'm not a good writer but intended to express the shock I got when the data that's really about protecting a company and customers showed me much more. Also, I am aware that correlation and causation are not the same.

I suggest people use the technology that was OpenDNS and now Umbrella (Cisco) personally. There's a free version of Umbrella that does what the free OpenDNS did.

It also appears Google is changing their tune on privacy or at least had a press release.