# Facebook security sucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 19, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773 "2010-06-19T13:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/1 "2010-06-19T13:57:07Z")
I just sent my second letter off to Facebook: [QUOTE=Czarcasm] Sometime yesterday my Facebook account was stolen, and I have been jumping though your hoops since then trying to get it back. Your new identification program is impossible to pass! To get my own Facebook account back, you are asking me to match 5 profile pictures to their owners. I have friended, for gaming purposes, over 2000 people, and a good percentage of them change their pictures frequently. Even a person with a photographic memory couldn’t pass your test! Either find some way to give me my account back, or shut it down before the person who stole it completely ruins my reputation. [/QUOTE] Who here with a decent number of Facebook friends could match 5 random profile pictures with their owners without fail? Hell, I’ve got 5 different people who use the same picture of Yosemite Sam! Poeple change their pictures on different occasions or to join some internet interest group-one week a yellow support ribbon, the next week showing childhood pictures, and the week after that a picture of a loved one who died. WTF, Facebook-the “show yourself as a child” event was one _you_ threw to celebrate an anniversary! I want my ghod damn page back! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/2 "2010-06-19T14:15:24Z")
Before anyone asks, the first thing I did was change my email password to destroy any possible links between it and Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/3 "2010-06-19T14:28:56Z")
Can’t you reset your password with the email account used to create the account? FWIW, I could match 5 pictures to users, but then I only have ~200 friends. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/4 "2010-06-19T14:30:49Z")
No. The rat bastard what stole my account already did that. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/5 "2010-06-19T14:44:36Z")
Personally, I am utterly baffled as to why anyone, anywhere, feels to the need to have a Facebook account or to be involved with them in anyway. YMMV and obviously does and I honestly don’t mean my comment to be as snarky as it sounds. Its just that when it comes to Facebook and others of its ilk, I just don’t get it. But I’m an old guy and no longer hip, or whatever the current word is. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/6 "2010-06-19T14:47:48Z")
I’m an older guy and I’m hip as fuck, and I still don’t see the attraction of Facebook. Let it go, **Czarcasm** ; it’s not the end of the world just yet. ps. Who the fuck would want to pretend to be you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/7 "2010-06-19T14:48:14Z")
I belong to a few organizations that use it, and I like playing Facebook games like Castle Age and Superhero City. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/8 "2010-06-19T14:56:20Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Can’t you reset your password with the email account used to create the account? > > FWIW, I could match 5 pictures to users, but then I only have ~200 friends. Do you know if any of your friends have ever changed their profile picture? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/9 "2010-06-19T14:56:52Z")
I do not like Facebook but still go through the hoops. But Czarcasm, how on this earth could you have 2,000 friends? I gather that it is for gaming purposes but is Facebook that powerful a gaming tool? I have never played a single game on Facebook. There are not enough ignore buttons. And I don’t care if some Manta has a fin caught in a trap. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/10 "2010-06-19T14:59:41Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I do not like Facebook but still go through the hoops. But Czarcasm, how on this earth could you have 2,000 friends? I gather that it is for gaming purposes but is Facebook that powerful a gaming tool? > > I have never played a single game on Facebook. There are not enough ignore buttons. And I don’t care if some Manta has a fin caught in a trap. If you play any of the larger games, it is damn easy to get 500 to a 1000 friends. One game out their recently limited how many people could be on the same team…to 3000! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/11 "2010-06-19T15:02:54Z")
Is it necessary to befriend them to play? I really have no idea. And I agree their vetting procedure sucks for reinstating your account. But- given your worldliness and being a Mod here, how did you allow your account to be stolen? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/12 "2010-06-19T15:10:17Z")
Other than to be a jerk, why would anyone steal a Facebook account? Is there a profit motive for doing that? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/13 "2010-06-19T15:11:25Z")
I set the account on the counter at the lunchroom, went to get my chocolate pudding cup, and when I came back it was gone! I have no idea how my account was hacked. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/14 "2010-06-19T15:13:36Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Other than to be a jerk, why would anyone steal a Facebook account? Is there a profit motive for doing that? A spammer would collect names of people with similar interests, while a game hacker would transfer gold pieces(or whatever the game currency was for that game) and items to her/his own account. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/15 "2010-06-19T15:14:07Z")
Sounds like an inside jobby job. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/16 "2010-06-19T15:19:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > A spammer would collect names of people with similar interests, while a game hacker would transfer gold pieces(or whatever the game currency was for that game) and items to her/his own account. Ah. But then that’s not “real money”, so what’s the point? Simply to gain an advantage in a little Facebook game? Jeez. I have a Facebook account but I hardly ever use it and I never play any of the games and ignore all invites to everything. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/17 "2010-06-19T15:21:06Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Personally, I am utterly baffled as to why anyone, anywhere, feels to the need to have a Facebook account or to be involved with them in anyway. YMMV and obviously does and I honestly don’t mean my comment to be as snarky as it sounds. Its just that when it comes to Facebook and others of its ilk, I just don’t get it. But I’m an old guy and no longer hip, or whatever the current word is. I use facebook because my two favorite sisters live in Nashville and Washington DC, respectively, while the friends I am closest too live in even further away–one in Singapore. Facebook is an easy way to stay involved in their lives. I don’t play games like Farmville or whatever it’s called, but I value being able to stay in regular contact with them in a way that the distance differences in time zone do not allow. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/18 "2010-06-19T15:44:35Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Is it necessary to befriend them to play? I really have no idea. There are a large number of games that are specifically designed to get you to have lots of friends also playing the game. They do this because the more people playing, the more money they get, either through advertising or selling game items for real money. Ideally, they want you to convince all of your real-life friends to also play the game, bringing in new eyeballs, but in reality, people just join forums where people already playing can just friend each other. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/19 "2010-06-19T15:49:20Z")
Who’d you piss off? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773/20 "2010-06-19T19:31:10Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Personally, I am utterly baffled as to why anyone, anywhere, feels to the need to have a Facebook account or to be involved with them in anyway. Well, there’s this guy who already has an account with the exact same (unusual) name as me, who’s friended several people who I know, who obviously think he’s me. I’m tempted to join just so I can show that he’s not me if he ever says/does something stupid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-security-sucks/543773.md?page=2)