Getting Hacked on Facebook

Friday night it became apparent that someone was impersonating me on Facebook.

Almost thirty of my friends fell for the scam. One engaged the impostor.

Engager: How is you husband?
Impostor: Fine.

HMM. My husband passed away from dementia at the end of June. My friend knew there was a problem! 

Dana received these messages from the impostor me on Facebook and, the English teacher that I am, I edited this uneducated scammer:

I’m so happy now because many good things are happening to me and am thanking God for that. It’s an empowerment program to help people especially the senior citizen, adult, youth. I have received mine from them already. The FedEx delivery service came to my doorstep and delivered cash of $300,000 to me in person.
  

About the 2014 empowerment program in conjunction with Facebook Yearly Bonus—the program is basically to help people to maintain a good standard of living in the entire community and there are prizes to me won. 

All right. I wonder if you have heard about the good news yet.

Dana: Did you open a new Facebook account?

Impostor: No, I did some re-setting so I have to re-add some of my friends. I hope everything is going well with you.

Dana told me As soon as the money was mentioned my suspcions were confirmed and she she unfriended immediately before he/she could steal her identiy. 

Then Dana messaged the real me on Facebook.

Dana: Carol, are you talking to me on a different Facebook page? I think you’ve been hacked. I unfriended your new account until I know it’s you.

The real me: I did not make a new Facebook account.

Dana: Sorry that happened to you! I could smell baloney! I knew it was out of character for you. 

The real me: This could become a blog post.

Dana: Haha! Yes it could. Have you recently accepted any new friend requests?

The real me: No, but I as at an unsecured WiFi Panera Bread [south of Plant City in perhaps the unincorporated Beaslville area] with my small notebook computer open and my iPhone on. Someone was sitting not far from me staring at me. I asked him if he knew me and he said no. The help section of Facebook is confusing to make a report.

Dana: That was him!! I’m sure! Sorry it’s confusing. Keep trying. Tell that story.

The real me: I will. The next Plant City Lady post. Did you LIKE that plantcityladyandfriendsblogspot so it will come to your computer?

Dana: I’m not sure. I may only read it when you share your blogs on your FB page.

The real me: I probably should share on FB. I don’t share all my blog posts on FB.

Then Dana gave me permission to use her name. Thanks, Dana.

Now I noticed an unincorporated place on the imposter's FB--Bealsville. Good information for the Plant City Police. That place is now gone on the impostor's page. 

I talked with a friend's computer-savvy husband last night and he explained to me the dangers of WiFi. Technology is being used to take advantage of us!  

This morning I talked with my neighbor whose FB page was hacked several years ago. You just change your password, she explained and one of her friends called Apple and took care of it while she was on vacation. I learned from her to not take my devices open to a WiFi establishment.

I finally had time to do change my password last night. It wasn't so easy on Facebook HELP, and I didn't call Apple.  I used this site to do it.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-immediately-facebook-account-hacked/

As of this morning, 13 of my friends are on the impostor's friend list. He has no other friends as others have unfriended him. 

Here is how you unfriend someone as I wrote on Facebook:


To delete this hacker impostor of me, go to your Timeline Wall by your picture at the top right next to the word Home. Click on your name. Then click on Friends. A list will come up. Scroll down until you see the false me. Check to see if it just has two pictures. I have a lot of photos on the real one. Then for this false one with pictures that just were added click on the tab that has the check Friends rectangular button. At the bottom of it find Unfriend.


Someone taking advantage of a senior! I had that as I reported HERE. That post has had over 400 views (more than the 300 or so views when my husband died).  I did get my money back. I have dealt with an Internet bully also, and that bully turned around.

Hey, seniors! 

Hey anyone!

I can't punch my impostor in the face, but I can report him/her to the police in Plant City! I can encourage that they reform before they are arrested. 

It Takes a Village: Part Two



Strategies booklet I made for student

 I didn't experience bullies when I grew up, but my husband had one in the junior high school stage he told me today. He finally let the kid have it with his fist. The teacher came over and thanked him while the bully went away crying, or so my husband says. Now mind you, some of his tales may not be true because of his dementia. The alligator in our backyard and flying in a plane with Jake are not true. They tell you to never argue with someone who has Alzheimer's and so I don't and these legends continue .

Today teachers will write up both parties in a fight. Both students will get suspended. Because of human nature people and kids get picked on. Bullying even happens in neighborhoods where adults spread gossip. I hate this! Talk to me face to face! I wonder what the neighborhood gossip is about the sheriff coming to our house last week. People do talk, you know.

I decided this week to do something about a victim in a middle school  where I substitute often and often hear about his bullies. I wrote a strategy for him and he signed it, a friend of his signed it and I signed it. He said his parents will sign it.  I gave him seven stragegies:

1. Ignore the bully and hold your temper.
2. If you can't do #1, talk to someone about the bully -- a teacher, school counselor or parent who may have ideas for dealing with the situation.
3. Forgive them. They have weaknesses as my rap says: Bullies find excuses to mess with our weaknesses as if  THEY have none. Think to yourself but don't say what's your problem, bully?
4. Keep a journal on how you handle bullies.
5. Pretend you are not a victim and act that way. Use your mind, not your emotions. Have interesting things to do yourself rather than concentrating on the bully.
6. Report crimes to 1-800-873-TIPS. (This is on a poster at school pictured above.)
7. Have parents file a police report from your journal documents.

The young man and his friend seemed quite happy to have this strategy and I explained that it is a way to use your mind and not your emotion (name of one of my raps),

What I write on the white board

They say there is an African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child and as a substitute teacher I am in that village. I hope my simple raps and bully booklet will help kids cope.

* Added:  See announcement of YouTube raps in the tab above (MCAC The Rap Lady).