What do you guys make of this weird facebook email?

[aligator12]

Not sure if I posted this in the right spot.

A couple of days ago I received an email from my old Facebook account which I deactivated about a year ago, to my old email account and the subject was "Getting back into Facebook", which if you don't know is the email facebook sends out if you enter the wrong password.

At first I thought it was a scam, but I think the email really did come from facebook because it had my real name in the email, e.g "Hi, <my name>". I don't think a random fishing email could obtain my name.

So, what do you think happened?

[fyfe54]

Scam.
I would ignore it.

[aligator12]

Scam.
I would ignore it.
Then how did the scammer obtain my real name to insert into the email?

I honestly think someone tried to log in to my old account.

[coldraven]

Just look at the source code of the email and look at the links to see who sent it and where any reply would be sent, In Gmail you click the arrow on the top right of the mail and select "Show Original". All email clients will have a similar function.

[teward]

Its a scam. I get 20 of those a day, i dump them in /dev/null automatically.

[kostkon]

I am getting the same emails lately, and they seem genuine. The links in them point to facebook.com (and the email header seems fine) and I compared them with a much older one, that I know is genuine, and they are exactly the same.

So, possibly someone is trying to hijack fb accounts en masse; and that's where these unsuccessful logins are coming from.

[aligator12]

So do you guys think I am fine? e.g it didn't reactivate my old account? or hacked it?

[slickymaster]

Why don't you email facebook support and explain them waht happened?

At least you'll have the chance to get some more information regarding your facebook account status.

[aligator12]

Why don't you email facebook support and explain them waht happened?

At least you'll have the chance to get some more information regarding your facebook account status.
Well, because in my experience facebook has bad customer service and never reply, and I don't want them to accidently reactivate my facebook account in their attempt to "troubleshoot the problem".

[whatthefunk]

Why dont you try to log in to your facebook account? and if you can log in, then delete it.

[aligator12]

Why dont you try to log in to your facebook account? and if you can log in, then delete it.
I don't think you can delete a facebook if memory serves me right, I think you can only "disable" it, and you can easily "re-enable" it if you login again. I am not sure if it was re-enabled with that email tho.

[slickymaster]

Well, it will never be erased, it will only be deactivated. All your data will forever be stored at facebook servers.

[whatthefunk]

You can request it be deleted.
https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674

[uRock]

Not sure if I posted this in the right spot.

A couple of days ago I received an email from my old Facebook account which I deactivated about a year ago, to my old email account and the subject was "Getting back into Facebook", which if you don't know is the email facebook sends out if you enter the wrong password.

At first I thought it was a scam, but I think the email really did come from facebook because it had my real name in the email, e.g "Hi, <my name>". I don't think a random fishing email could obtain my name.

So, what do you think happened?
Look into it through Facebook. I have been reading up on cracking FB accounts and this is a tell tale sign that someone may be trying to do that to your old account. If you log in and go to the Help selection in the drop down beside the Home button, then you can report a problem and I think there is a was to get to customer service in that menu.

[aligator12]

I don't really want to re-activate it again just to get stonewalled by fb. I had a fairly secure password on it tho, what is the worse a hacker could do with only my email address?

[whatthefunk]

I dont know why this is such a big deal. Try to log in. If you can, then either delete your account or change your password to some miserable 40 charcter mess by pounding on the keybaoard randomly. If you cant log in, request a new password, then log in and proceed as recommended above.
Finished.
Asking around on a Ubuntu forum for further advice is pointless.

[chuck_theobald]

Simple as: Someone is trying to crack your old FB account.

[uRock]

I don't really want to re-activate it again just to get stonewalled by fb. I had a fairly secure password on it tho, what is the worse a hacker could do with only my email address?

If the hacker was already on your friends list, then he/she can unlock your account and do anything he/she wants in an attempt to ruin your reputation.

[whatthefunk]

A few other things that should be mentioned:
1. Facebook sends automatic emails if your password has been changed. Since you havent received one of these, your password probably hasnt been changed.
2. Facebook sends automatic emails to your previous email address if your email address has been changed. Since you havent gotten one of these, your default email on facebook hasnt been changed.
3. Facebook sends automatic emails if you or someone else has logged into your account on a new machine. Since you havent gotten one of these, youre probably alright.

[aligator12]

A few other things that should be mentioned:
1. Facebook sends automatic emails if your password has been changed. Since you havent received one of these, your password probably hasnt been changed.
2. Facebook sends automatic emails to your previous email address if your email address has been changed. Since you havent gotten one of these, your default email on facebook hasnt been changed.
3. Facebook sends automatic emails if you or someone else has logged into your account on a new machine. Since you havent gotten one of these, youre probably alright.

This sounds about right.

Also, I was thinking, if I don't receive any more of these emails, is it safe they gave up with my account?

Here is what I am thinking happened:

1) The attacker learned or guessed my email address (my email address is all dictionary words and numbers)

2) Then used a bot to attempt mass logins to different accounts with the email addresses they obtained. I assume they used the most popular passwords, e.g password1, letmein, etc.

3) Then after 3 failed logins, facebook sends an email thinking I forgot my password.

The only thing is, after googling this, no one else seems to have received this email so since I am paranoid I am worried I might be being singled out. But I have never made anyone mad at me tho lol.

Does anyone know facebook's support email address (where I can talk with a human?).

[aligator12]

Because I don't want any of my friends to see I reactivated my account, because I re-added them on my new account.

So if I logged in temporarily and then permenatly deleted my account, how long would this take?

I also found this:
http://forums.techguy.org/web-email/1049953-solved-facebook-account-hack-attempt.html

[whatthefunk]

Because I don't want any of my friends to see I reactivated my account, because I re-added them on my new account.

So if I logged in temporarily and then permenatly deleted my account, how long would this take?

I also found this:
http://forums.techguy.org/web-email/1049953-solved-facebook-account-hack-attempt.html

Why dont you use your new account to look at your old account. And really, does it matter if you reactivate your old account for five minutes while you clean it up or whatever? I think youre worrying far too much about this....

[aligator12]

Why dont you use your new account to look at your old account. And really, does it matter if you reactivate your old account for five minutes while you clean it up or whatever? I think youre worrying far too much about this....
Well, when I deactivated it, it basically makes it disappear from facebook so there is nothing to look at.

But I suppose I could log in for a 5 mins and delete it, but I would like to point out facebook waits 14 days to delete your account after your request (you can login within 14 days to reactivate it). So that isn't enough time for a hacker to login, right?

So is that what you think I should do?

[jerome1232]

Just throwing this out there, it's possible a hacker tried to get into your acount, it's also possible someone has an email very close to yours, and they simply accidentally typed their email wrong and tried to log in.

With our browsers remembering everything, life can be tough when you are trying to log in at the library and you can't remember what your user name was, or am I the only one with this problem when on a public computer? I've made 20 attempts on one of my old emails before going through my usual passwords and the variations I put on them, only to realize I had the email address wrong the whole time.

Just throwing that out there.

[aligator12]

Just throwing this out there, it's possible a hacker tried to get into your acount, it's also possible someone has an email very close to yours, and they simply accidentally typed their email wrong and tried to log in.

With our browsers remembering everything, life can be tough when you are trying to log in at the library and you can't remember what your user name was, or am I the only one with this problem when on a public computer? I've made 20 attempts on one of my old emails before going through my usual passwords and the variations I put on them, only to realize I had the email address wrong the whole time.

Just throwing that out there.
That is a pretty good explanation to be honest, my email address contains 2 common dictionary words let's say "apple" and "guitar" along with a couple of numbers, so I suppose someone could have made a mistake, but I think I am gonna delete it to be safe.

I think I need to stop being so paranoid lol.

[OpSecShellshock]

The other possibility, of course, is that some other account that you used the same email address for was part of a breach of whatever site the other account was with. Like if you used the same email address on a forum (not this one!) or some other thing. Post-breach, one of the first things people do with all the leaked emails is try to see if they happen to have also been used for other services with the same passwords. Because a lot of people are dumb and actually do that.

Alternatively, it could just be Facebook sending out "please come back we want your data" messages to people with deactivated accounts.

[critin]

Not sure if I posted this in the right spot.

A couple of days ago I received an email from my old Facebook account which I deactivated about a year ago, to my old email account and the subject was "Getting back into Facebook", which if you don't know is the email facebook sends out if you enter the wrong password.

At first I thought it was a scam, but I think the email really did come from facebook because it had my real name in the email, e.g "Hi, <my name>". I don't think a random fishing email could obtain my name.

So, what do you think happened?

Facebook simply wants you to reactivate the old account. This is sent automatically and it doesn't know you have another acct. It's not dire. I've rec at least one on a deactivated account that I never did use.

[critin]

Well, when I deactivated it, it basically makes it disappear from facebook so there is nothing to look at.

But I suppose I could log in for a 5 mins and delete it, but I would like to point out facebook waits 14 days to delete your account after your request (you can login within 14 days to reactivate it). So that isn't enough time for a hacker to login, right?

So is that what you think I should do?

I don't think they ever delete it. It's only deactivated, (sorta like these ubuntu accts). You can still log in and they'll welcome you back. I tried it once and I only had to click on a link in the email to get a 'Welcome Back!! opportunity.

For instance, I still get notices of Friend Requests and I never did even use that acct. Facebook doesn't like to lose it's people.

[uRock]

I don't think they ever delete it. It's only deactivated, (sorta like these ubuntu accts). You can still log in and they'll welcome you back. I tried it once and I only had to click on a link in the email to get a 'Welcome Back!! opportunity.

For instance, I still get notices of Friend Requests and I never did even use that acct. Facebook doesn't like to lose it's people.
You can request it be deleted.
https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674

They do.

[aligator12]

Alright, I got another email today just like the other one. And I noticed something on the bottom: "This message was sent to <my email address> at your request".

So someone is sitting there trying different passwords...

I guess my only choice is to login and delete it.