Tried to join facebook. The Orwellian nightmare...

[Astro Pen]

I Tried to join facebook entered my details. all fine and got this email

Clicked on upload a profile photo and added my photo clicked to enter it and got

No I didn't!!! I just added my profile photo.

Nothing happens for 4 days so I try to log in.

That's it disabled and (suspended) before I even posted anything at all !
I tried again and it said account suspended. (Download your information does nothing)
An utterly horrible and unwarranted permanent rejection of me and no reason given.

 

[HareBrain]

Was your profile pic of anything that could have been mistaken for anything dodgy? I've seen evidence of some crazy misinterpretations.

 

[Robert Zwilling]

Maybe they didn't like the file name. Did you use a newly created email address or did you use an existing email address? Many years ago I ended up with a facebook account in another country because an email address of mine was used to create an account.

 

[Astro Pen]

Same picture as on my amazon page

I used my normal email, would that be a problem? Do they need a 'newly minted' one?

 

[Robert Zwilling]

The phone number or email address can be listed as spammer or fraud use by security programs because of spoofing. I don't know if brand new email or phone number would work, facebook might have some kind of way of using ip to link stuff together. You would think going in through a VPN with a new email and phone number would trigger something, but maybe if there was nothing to see the program would be perfectly happy to set up an account. One comment on web after searching for facebook account rejected said to not use the phone number at first, only the email. Possible that someone used your email to set up an account at one time.

 

[Astro Pen]

Thanks I'll try a different email after the dust settles to see if you are right. I have written to them in the meantime to complain about the situation.
No reply yet and I'm not holding my breath. It seemed happy enough with opening an account until I submitted the picture. (Unless, of course someone else has already used my image?)

 

[Dave]

I have written to them in the meantime to complain about the situation.

Was that a letter by snail mail? Because good luck getting Facebook to answer any emails, but an old-fashioned letter written in ink might be so unusual that they will reply. I never tried that when I had a problem with them.

It must be very concerning that someone may have used your image and/or email to create fake accounts. If so, that might have other, more serious, consequences beyond setting up a Facebook account. I don't know how you go about reporting it more widely, or what to do. It is more common with celebrities and models, but who have the resources, staff and ability to do more about it.

If I can give some advice, I would check your credit report ASAP. You can do this for free via here: How to check your credit report for free but that also gives other ways of doing the same thing. It is the Martin Lewis website. Your report will give a list of every bank account, loan taken out, credit application, mortgage made in your name or jointly, with associated addresses and names. If someone is impersonating you and you see anything there that is unexpected then you can involve the police.

If your email is the same as that you used to join SFF Chronicles then it isn't currently on any blacklists.

 

[Astro Pen]

I've given this some deep thought. It balked and started shennanigans when I added the above photo.
I think someone else has already used my photo for a false ID on facebook. Unfortuntely image search wont let me find it because face searches are limited. So not sure what I can do now.
All this goes to show how fragile/vulnerable online presence is.
( that btw is why I never added my actual birthday to my profile. I also turned down a credit union account because they demanded face recognition ID as a condition - No way.)

 

[Dave]

Have Facebook replied to you?

It seems to be much much harder to prove to authorities that someone is impersonating you than it is to create a fake account to begin with. There have been News reports about people registering companies at Company House with fake addresses. The first that the real occupant of the address knows about it is when thousands of letters arrive complaining about some scam. They have to jump through hoops, providing evidence that they are not the person who registered the company, when they are completely innocent, and have been the one who was inconvenienced! Instead, you are guilty until proven innocent. All of which could be avoided if the necessary checks were made before the registration.

 

[Astro Pen]

Thanks Dave. No, they have not replied, not that that surprises me.
I have been 'id thefted'. before. Only found out when the repo company turned up to take the new Vauxhall Carlton that I apparently stopped payments on.
It was interesting that the thieves had made the first 3 payments on the car, which bought them three months to break it, give it a new identity or whatever they did.

 

[paeng]

I don't understand why that happened. I just created a profile for a pet dog using a free Proton e-mail address and it worked.