I’ve been on Facebook off and on all day. Suddenly this evening Facebook says that there is a problem and that I need to upload a picture of myself (which they claim they will immediately delete) for identification. I do so, hit submit…and nothing happens. I go to their help page, and now I know of five different ways to reset my damn password, but they address this problem I have at all.
Advice, please?
I’d start by using a different computer, or at least pulling up a private/incognito window and trying again. This will keep your cache out of the problem. You could also go and delete your history/cookies/cache (you can even do it just for facebook so you don’t wipeout everything) if you want. There’s a chance that everything is fixed, but your computer is still taking you back to that screen.
In fact, when you end up at that screen, try reloading it a few times just for good measure.
Similarly, try logging in with your cell phone. Partially because it’s a separate device, but also because facebook is probably going to like pictures from a mobile platform better. Maybe not, it’s just a shot in the dark.
Lastly, there’s a chance they did this because your account was hacked and they’re keeping you locked out until they get it sorted out. A friend of mine had her account hacked and they ended up deleting her entire page, pictures and all.
Just had this happen to me, took a day or two for them to sort things out.
CMC fnord!
This just got serious-My friend just logged on with no problem to ask people about my problem and we found out that I no longer exist. Not only can I not log in, but all of my posts have disappeared and I am no longer on anyone’s friends list, including my own mother. WTF??
Your account was probably hacked and facebook shut it down until they can sort things out with you.
When this happened to a friend of mine, “she” was sending out PMs saying she was stranded on vacation, lost her passport etc, needed money to get home. I asked her to prove it was her and I was unfriended and blocked. When I went to report it to facebook, I saw that this was a common scam (this was probably 10 years ago). I reported her page and it was shut down soon after. Whoever hacked into her account must have also reported my page since I got locked out as well. They presumbaly did all of this (blocked me and reported me to FB, prompted them to lock me out of my account) to prevent me from warning people.
But, yeah, your page probably got hacked. You could try calling or emailing, but I’m not sure if that’s going to get you anywhere any faster then just waiting for them to contact you. Make sure to keep a close eye on whatever email account you have set up for facebook.
Is removing every single post I ever made on Facebook and removing me from my friends and family’s friends lists part of this problem?
The request for a photo usually means they’ve received a report that you have two or more accounts. If you do, try logging in to the other account to see what’s going on there. Also in either case try uploading a photo you’ve never uploaded to FB before.
If the account was hacked I would think you’d receive email and or an SMS message with information about securing your account.
I wouldn’t worry too much (yet, anyway) about friends not seeing the account. If they’re investigating something like that they probably don’t delete anything, but just hide it from view. On the other hand, getting any kind of help or information from a live person at FB about anything like this is right out of the question and whatever it is, it has a lot of potential to be a frustrating PITA to get sorted out.
If the account is “suspended” or whatever the terminology, then most likely the items are not deleted so much as hidden. It will be impossible to access anything you posted, but most likely it will magically re-appear when they have your account sorted out. But yes, this sounds suspiciously like a scam, especially if they are looking for passport-quality photos of yourself. I have trouble imagining any seriously-used Facebook account today that does not include multiple pictures of the account holder already.
I took a fresh picture of myself and uploaded it, and they accepted that one. Now I have to wait for them to contact me through email.
I would not provide anyone with a picture that could double as a photo-id; you know, no smile, full head straight on shot good resolution. It just screams to me that someone has all your other details and needs a high-quality photo ID picture to steal your identity - apply for valid copies of your driver’s license, etc. After all, unless your account is unusual, it is already full of pictures of you. Did they ask for a specific pose or other details? How would a request prove anything. If I downloaded a hundred pictures of John Doe an used them to create a fake account, or hacked John DOe’s account already or have been stalking him, what would stop me from having one more picture to send when asked? What does a random photo prove?
They would match it against my Facebook profile picture. If the picture I provide isn’t available online, it would show that whoever took that picture at least knows me, even if it isn’t me. The person who stole my page would most likely have the same profile page they already have and nothing more. When I provided the shot they asked for, it was pretty much the same picture, but with my hat off.
In terms of everything being gone, you have to remember that Facebook “pages” are totally dynamic and don’t actually exist until someone asks to see one. Then a page is created on the fly from placeholders that call database values, like “friends.”
In other words, you haven’t been removed from your mother’s list of friends, it’s just that Facebook has made your data unavailable, so it doesn’t get displayed. While the effect is the same as having been removed, the difference is that once Facebook unfreezes your account, your data will become available and you will again be shown as a friend. You won’t have to go through the whole “friend request” bit again.
They didn’t erase your data, they just made it unavailable.
But to the people who called me to see if I was o.k.(including Mom) it means pretty much the same thing. There was no “Temporary Problem” sign up instead of my profile-it was just gone.
Did they simply ask for a picture, or did they ask for you to do something. In the past, I’ve seen facebook ask people to hold something, like a sign with a specific word on it or take a quick video waving a certain way etc. I supposed it’s possible for their software to quickly decide that a random picture you just took is new and not the same as an old one and therefore likely to be the real you. Keeping in mind that if they lock the page down for 24 hours, the hackers will move on to the next target. They’re not likely to spend that time hoping to get back in.
Facebook is probably coded at least well enough that any friends that have their page turned off (voluntary or otherwise), simply don’t show up. That eliminates broken links or “not available” issues. That code may (or may not, I have no idea) be shared with the block feature. If you block someone, the two of you simply don’t exist to each other on facebook anymore. I have a few people on facebook I’ve blocked. Since then, they don’t come up in searches, I don’t see pictures they’re tagged in, I don’t see comments they make etc. They’re gone. And even though they don’t know I’ve blocked them, it’s the same for them. For all they know, I’m not on facebook.
They just asked for a face shot.
It isn’t hackers. They ask for this type of photo when they suspect that the person has two accounts, or when their account is flagged by an automated system as having done something that seems suspicious. As with all things Facebook they don’t document what the system deems to be suspicious other than multiple accounts, but the photo captcha request can be triggered when creating an account, making friend requests, setting up payment information for ads or other commerce, or when creating or editing ads.
By asking him and, if applicable, any other accounts pretending to be him or otherwise suspected of being a duplicate account to provide a clear face photo they can automate the entire investigation.
They have an extensive facial recognition database that goes way beyond just comparing it to existing profile pictures. The reason it worked when he sent a totally new photo is that FB’s bots couldn’t find that photo anywhere online but their recognition database confirmed that it is him. The investigation now being complete, some other bot will eventually email him instructions about how to reclaim his account, possibly after a live person clicks one button to approve it.
With over 2 billion active users they really try very hard not to involve their employees in such matters unless absolutely necessary. In that case they would ask for a scan of a government-issued photo ID, plain and simple. All this facial recognition and using a unique photo stuff would just be a waste of time.
I’ve seen the two account thing lately. It happened to a friend of mine. But in general when there’s two accounts for the same person (that the real person didn’t set up) it happens for two reasons. Either someone set up a second account, more or less, as a joke, to bully the person. Just posting stupid stuff or a bot set up a new account and over the next day or so you’ll see it duplicate the original account. Similar posts, all the pictures and friend requests the all their friends. The latter is what happened to a friend of mine. While that’s not a hacker as in someone hacked in the sense that someone got their password and started sending out messages in their name, it’s still…[I typed all that to end with hacker and I decided I don’t want to use that word here, what would it be? How about, wait for it, Russian Impressionist].
Anyways, IIRC, this was the case where they asked the user to send in a picture with them holding a piece of paper with something written on it.
The promised further contact never happened, but I was able to sign back in this morning.
Win…I guess.
Just a reminder: face shot /= money shot.