Facebook Security.

[Sara_H]

Yesterday I inadvertantly engaged with a troll on a facebook group. The posts were removed by the admin of the group and I thought no more about it.

This evening I've recieved several pretty unpleasant private messages from this man, including a photo of my son accusing me of abusing him and threatening to eport me to social services.

I thought I had my facebook account more or less on lockdown, I can't understand how he got the photo of my son. Its an old photo and the link to the photo came with this prefix

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net

I really enjoy using facebook, as me and most of my friends work shifts, antisocial hours etc I find its a great way to keep in touch with my friends who I might only see every few months otherwise, but this has shaken me up and am considering closing my account, though I don't really want to.

Any tips for staying secure on facebook?

 

[summerdays]

Yesterday I inadvertantly engaged with a troll on a facebook group. The posts were removed by the admin of the group and I thought no more about it.

This evening I've recieved several pretty unpleasant private messages from this man, including a photo of my son accusing me of abusing him and threatening to eport me to social services.

I thought I had my facebook account more or less on lockdown, I can't understand how he got the photo of my son. Its an old photo and the link to the photo came with this prefix

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net

I really enjoy using facebook, as me and most of my friends work shifts, antisocial hours etc I find its a great way to keep in touch with my friends who I might only see every few months otherwise, but this has shaken me up and am considering closing my account, though I don't really want to.

Any tips for staying secure on facebook?

Sorry I can't help but what a horrible thing to do!

Could you log out and then look yourself up and see what you can see to check your account security?

 

[John the Monkey]

Sophos do a decent guide;
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-news-trends/best-practices/facebook.aspx

 

[Andy_R]

To start with, report the incident to your local police service - they will have a dedicated team who deal with such incidents. It is more than likely that the individual in case has either done this before, or will do it again to someone else, and despite peoples general reaction to such events, it is actually a crime these days. Have you kept copies of the messages?

 

[Cold]

I thought I had my facebook account more or less on lockdown, I can't understand how he got the photo of my son. Its an old photo and the link to the photo came with this prefix

https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net
?

If you are using chrome and click on someones picture in Facebook then right click and then click on " open image in new tab" that will be the prefix of the picture.

 

[Sara_H]

If you are using chrome and click on someones picture in Facebook then right click and then click on " open image in new tab" that will be the prefix of the picture.

This is what I can't understand. When I view my profile as "public", the only photos viwable are my current prfile pic and the page picture. The photo isn't open to anyone who isn't my friend on facebook.
I've googled my name etc and can't see how he got that photo. Reassuring in a way hat its an old one, but still.

The other thing is, I can't stop facebook groups I'm a member of being available to public view. Some of them are local groups, which then obviously gives an idea of where I live.

HELP!

 

[Sara_H]

To start with, report the incident to your local police service - they will have a dedicated team who deal with such incidents. It is more than likely that the individual in case has either done this before, or will do it again to someone else, and despite peoples general reaction to such events, it is actually a crime these days. Have you kept copies of the messages?

Yes I took screen shots in them. I reported them and oddly his name/picture keep disappearing from them and then reappearing.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Best not to "engage" on FB. Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[stuee147]

Facebook has pore security and Google search is a funny thing if you search for the same thing/person on 2 different computers you end up with slightly different results as it not only uses what you have typed but will all so consider all other searches you have done on that computer

 

[TVC]

Police. Get them to sort him out, they do take it seriously these days.

 

[Sara_H]

Best not to "engage" on FB. Hope you get it sorted out.

Didn't think I had really. It was the usual road tax, we let you use our roads etc I gave the standard replies, was very polite. Others waded in and with every reply he became more abusive.
I went off and did something else, when I came back his posts had been deleted, I didn't really think anymore about it.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Didn't think I had really. It was the usual road tax, we let you use our roads etc I gave the standard replies, was very polite. Others waded in and with every reply he became more abusive.
I went off and did something else, when I came back his posts had been deleted, I didn't really think anymore about it.

It's never really worth getting involved in that kind of stuff, I know I can sometimes wind people up on here but there are some things not worth getting involved with as they attract complete nutjobs; and FB is full of them. Best to just let it go and leave it.

 

[winjim]

This is horrible but I'm afraid the simple answer is that Facebook is not secure. There have been bugs that have "undeleted" things (nothing is ever actually deleted from the servers) and made private messages public. Basically anything you post on FB you should regard as publicly accessible, forever

 

[RhythMick]

As per others, definitely get this to the police. At the least , if he does go to social services you've put the threat on record.

 

[Sara_H]

As per others, definitely get this to the police. At the least , if he does go to social services you've put the threat on record.

I'm not worried about that part of it tbh, but just shocked that he managed to get hold of the photo.

I had some sessions about social media security at my sons primary school as part of their safeguarding children online programme. Following that I removed alot of identifying stuff from my profile so I don't have my photo as a profile pic, or my cover pic. Removed my location and "comes from info.