Community Chat

[joannecha]

Have been getting a series of these last week. A couple of friends had their Facebook accounts hacked and they were signed up with Messenger. I started out by getting a text from a friend who never texts me. It was very innocuous in the beginning (hi-how are you?) and I responded, but it got strange from there. I called her but got no response. DH tells me that because I responded, I could be in danger of getting my information hacked. What a pain! Don’t these people have anything better to do with their time?

[Lipstickdiva]

I'm getting them too but they are not from a telephone number, they look like they are coming from an e-mail addy.  I've gotten about 3 or 4 all talking about asian women, which I am not.  I can block numbers but I cannot block these so I blocked the word asian from texts.  LOL  I don't know what else to do.

[Bri36]

I've gotten a few spam texts.  One was something about a sweepstakes entry.  

I go in and block the number.   That stops calls and texts from that number.

[jackthebear]

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@joannecha wrote:

Have been getting a series of these last week. A couple of friends had their Facebook accounts hacked and they were signed up with Messenger. I started out by getting a text from a friend who never texts me. It was very innocuous in the beginning (hi-how are you?) and I responded, but it got strange from there. I called her but got no response. DH tells me that because I responded, I could be in danger of getting my information hacked. What a pain! Don’t these people have anything better to do with their time?

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I would delete Facebook messenger and the app from your phone,  it is an insidious app . which drains battery and resources and data 

meanwhile change your password and privacy settings 

I use it through the browser on my phone 

[JaneMarple]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I'm getting them too but they are not from a telephone number, they look like they are coming from an e-mail addy.  I've gotten about 3 or 4 all talking about asian women, which I am not.  I can block numbers but I cannot block these so I blocked the word asian from texts.  LOL  I don't know what else to do.

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I get spam texts too @Lipstickdiva but I can block them, I touch the text and the menu choice comes up with what I would like to do. Blocking is one of them. Good luck.

[LTT1]

@joannecha@JaneMarple@jackthebear

Until recently, I have only listed my cell phone number with maybe two parties. I don’t trust giving it out because of spam texts.

When I first signed up for Twitter, they had my cell #. I got two texts before I realized the texts were coming from this app. Went in and deleted my phone number.

Usps/UPS/FEDEX have it.

And my friends

FB does not have my cell...I get so many spam emails (including the Asian/Russian/neighbor ones) that it sickens me.

Love the idea of “blocking Asian texts.”

[on the bay]

The brief time I signed up for facebook messenger I got a spam message once and the second one facebook blocked due to content! Eww! So I deleted it. 

I only signed up because a relative told me she left a message there! Hey why not just call or text or email.

Though some people seem to like facebook for all communication. 

Someone here described facebook as the emotional void of communication, or something.

I agree-are we communicating in general to everyone or a special person? If so, talk to that person! What a novelty. But then you won't get lots of numerous random likes with no conversation if thats what you are going for.

I guess I just can't relate, though there are some good things about it.

Did anyone else hear on the news that facebook will require a picture to identify yourself for them but then they will delete it? It already seems that they can collect tons of information about you.

[Lipstickdiva]

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@JaneMarple wrote:

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I'm getting them too but they are not from a telephone number, they look like they are coming from an e-mail addy.  I've gotten about 3 or 4 all talking about asian women, which I am not.  I can block numbers but I cannot block these so I blocked the word asian from texts.  LOL  I don't know what else to do.

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I get spam texts too @Lipstickdiva but I can block them, I touch the text and the menu choice comes up with what I would like to do. Blocking is one of them. Good luck.

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@JaneMarple, I have to go in a different way to block mine.  In fact, I had to look up how to block a text because I thought I could do it the way you described.  I have to actually enter the number I want blocked.     

[chickenbutt]

I don't know if people with these Track phone things can do it, but with a regular cell phone I can just go onto the account I have with my carrier and there are settings in there where I can set all kinds of privacy settings, blocking, etc.    

I have it set up where only people in my contact list can send me texts.  That stopped getting the spam texts completely.

[dooBdoo]

            If we want to reply to a private message on Facebook, we still have the option of logging into the full, desktop version of Facebook and accessing it there.   

            I think some of the spam -- and many, many other privacy issues -- stem from using the Facebook mobile app and/or the Messenger app.   I've never used either and I refuse to use either because of the security and privacy pitfalls with both of them.

            Here's an excerpt from an  article by an internet security and software editor to illustrate some reasons for my concerns:

SOCIAL MEDIA, SECURITY

Facebook Messenger Privacy: Everything You Need to Know

3/30/2017

" ...The permissions for Facebook Messenger read like this:

[see short video at link]

Here’s a summary:

• It will record in-app purchases.
• A log of the device’s system is made.
• Browser bookmarks are recorded, as is your web history.
• Facebook gains a list of all running apps.
• Facebook records your identity.
• They also get a list of all accounts on the device.
• Your contact card can be read and modified.
• Accounts can be added or removed.
• Facebook gains access to your contacts and calendars.
• Facebook can modify contacts, collect calendar events, and see other confidential information.
• The app can even send emails to your contact list without your knowledge.

Scary stuff, isn’t it? But wait.

All this information is displayed when you install the Facebook Messenger app.  The chances are that you just clicked through it in your haste to use the thing... "

source:  makeuseof. com/tag/facebook-messenger-privacy/

(or search for article entitled "Facebook Messenger Privacy: Everything You Need to Know" on MakeUseOf dot com)

            There's a 2014 Snopes article debating the pros and cons of these permissions.   However, there have been changes since then and Facebook also has begun their move to force users over to the Messenger app.   Each person needs to research this and make their own decisions, but please be very careful about using mobile apps and allowing them to access so much of the personal data saved on the device.