\u201cThere’s a sucker born every minute.\u201d \u201cNobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public.\u201d I know, I know – you’d leave Facebook, if only your beloved great-aunt Mildred, your third cousin Raymond (thrice removed), and all the “Friends” you swore you’d see in Hell before ever speaking to them again weren’t there, but you cannot abandon them and they’re just too stubborn, lazy, or apathetic to try yet-another-new-internet-thingy. We are all codependent enablers, hooked on social media platforms that will slowly erode civilization as we know it. Facebook is the Hotel California: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”<\/p>\n You can, however, find yourself in Facebook Jail.<\/p>\n You can be locked out of your account, with no real recourse. Don’t bother sending proof of ID to Facebook; they’ll simply ignore it, unless you’re a celebrity with an entourage of highly-paid lawyers and publicists. Besides, you have no idea where you’re really sending your ID, your utility bills, your proof of residence, do you? It could be some underpaid, overworked, psychologically abused moderator in a distant country who has finally had just about enough of Facebook users and corporate nonsense. Seriously, don’t bother.<\/p>\n You can find your public photos being stolen, you account being cloned, and your friends being phished by impersonators. Some part of me feels that if my friends don’t know me well enough to spot egregiously bad spelling and grammar, and interrogate imposters until they turn themselves<\/em> in and beg for mercy, then good enough for ’em if they find their bank accounts wiped out, one day. But no – we are all just one cup of caffeine short of a bad decision, some days. The ones I worry most about are the ones who are 100% sure they can’t possibly be fooled – but don’t even know the term “social engineering” and still think guys in the Cayman Islands are “hitting on them.” Or that girls admiring their own airbrushed asses in a truck stop bathroom mirror are just waiting, bosoms heaving, for their call.<\/p>\n You can find your real account being reported by well-meaning friends who know there are three imposter clones out there but can’t be bothered to verify which URL is being used by which “person.” Or you can find yourself on the wrong end of some social media bully who doesn’t like something you’ve said. Report<\/strong> is both a useful tool and a nasty weapon.<\/p>\n If you’ve considered all of this and still don’t think Facebook is more trouble than it’s worth, at least take an hour or so to batten down the hatches and secure your account – and keep your friends safer, while you’re at it. Do these things:<\/p>\n One of the best things you can do to protect your Facebook Friends is to lock down who can see your friends list. Visit<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/settings?tab=privacy<\/a><\/p>\n and under Who can see your friends list?<\/strong> select Only me<\/strong>. This is not 100% foolproof, and God knows, every time you foolproof a thing, God builds a better fool. But it will slow down the phishers of men somewhat. At least they’ll only be able to see your “Mutual Friends,” which also means that when some imposter sends you a Friend request, you will be able to see which of your friends need a referral to this blog post. Friends don’t let friends carelessly skip through life unprotected.<\/p>\n If a real life friend sends you a Friend request right after you’ve talked, odds are pretty good it’s the real deal. Still, it never hurts to message them and double check.<\/p>\n If you aren’t entirely sure that request is from your friend, do the following:<\/p>\n Once you are sure that the imposter account is an imposter, please Report<\/strong> it and let your friend know<\/strong>. Make absolutely sure that you are reporting the imposter account, not your friend’s original account!!<\/em> This is very important.<\/p>\n To report an imposter account (yours or a Friend’s), complete the following steps:<\/p>\n The purpose of the completing the following steps is twofold: First, to prevent unwanted and unauthorized access to your Facebook account; and second, to ensure that you have access to your data and your own Facebook account, should you forget your password or get locked out.<\/p>\n
\n\u2015\u00a0P.T. Barnum<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u2015\u00a0P.T. Barnum<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Protect Your Friends<\/h2>\n
Lock Down Your Friends List<\/h3>\n
Be Wary of New Friend Requests<\/h3>\n
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Do a Security Audit\u00a0 & Update on Your Facebook Profile<\/h2>\n
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