Phone Hacking

[Thisoldbird]

I had a friend request on Facebook yesterday from a lady who has been on my friend list 10 or more years. 

I messaged her wondering if she had been hacked.  

Today she returned to the shop where she recently purchased the phone. 

A further message this evening she tells me the assistant informed her new phones can't be hacked! 

No idea what make it is. I've not heard that before.  

Bearing in mind, were both past our sell by dates new technology passes us by. 

[Buenchico]

That doesn't sound like hacking to me.  It's more likely to be 'account impersonation'.  I'll try to explain . . . 

Let's say that your friend has a Facebook account in the name of Amelia Fortescue.  Her profile, including her list of friends, is publicly accessible, so anyone can see that you (Mary Oldbird) are among her friends.

Someone with malicious intent then creates a new Facebook profile, also using the name 'Amelia Fortescue'.  Having done that, the fake 'Amelia Fortescue' then sends you a friend request.  If don't spot that there's a problem, you might accept the request.  Some time later you then start getting messages about the dire financial position that 'Amelia Fortescue' is in, begging you for a short-term loan and promising to pay the money back.  If you've not spotted that those messages are coming from a fake account, you might then send money to a person who you think is your friend but who is, in fact, a scammer.

[johnk]

Thanks for the explanation, I undertood it and I'm hopeless with tech.

[Gizmonster]

As already explained, your friend's account has been cloned, not hacked.

If someone's account is hacked, it means that someone has managed to gain access to their account.  What has happened here is that someone is impersonating them.

This happened to a friend of mine 2 days ago and his first reaction was "I've been hacked" ...... a quick explanation was needed  :)

I suggest that you report it to FB and the account will be closed down.

[Thisoldbird]

Thank you Gizmonster. I'll pass that message on.