I find $this->_unsettling($facebook)

[Sheldon]

.... lots of text

Found it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118883/

I seriously find it amusing anyone has that outlook. I'd still also like you to answer how you are privy to such information.

 

[Sheldon]

Is there any point in it going to you?

Let's say it wasn't your wife, and instead it was someone else and it was your phone. You would have received the text, ignored it and essentially the request from the Facebook user would be invalid and useless.

You may have summed it up better than I. Heh.

 

[Chris D]

You may have summed it up better than I. Heh.

I think we both summed it up well.

The point about the recycling of numbers is very prevalent.

My wife received a Happy New Year message from someone she doesn't know where it transpires that they were texting an old acquaintence who seemingly used to have my wife's old phone number at this time last year.

I'd be mighty pissed off if I tried to assign my new phone number to Facebook and I couldn't because it was on somebody else's Facebook profile.

The whole confirming that number is in the hands of that person making the Facebook request is the best way of doing it.

 

[Lawrence]

No, that isn't how it works. They obviously have the # now. If they can pull the verification off of it THEY HAVE IT. It is no longer considered yours.

If I have my cell on my personal profile. Add another profile with another name, and use that number... once I send it to verify they number from my account, Facebook assumes the old owner no longer has that number. There are cases where numbers are reused on cell phones. That is why you weren't alerted. It doesn't matter who the phone #'s bill is in, anything like that.

I am the owner of that number, I receive the bill in my name. What gives facebook the right to give it to another person when they know it belongs to me (or they would not have emailed me) without me approving it first? To me, they do not care, it's all about getting a verified cell number, they do not care who is in possession of the phone. It has nothing to do with recycled phone numbers: it *is* my wife's phone number, but it is in my name, and I never gave it to facebook.

 

[Adam Howard]

I understand what Lawrence is saying and why he feels concern.

Follow this....

• Lawrence has a de-actived (not active) Facebook account with no active phone number
• His wife added a NEW number which was never previously associated with Facebook
• It just so happens that NEW number is under Lawrences name (he pays the bill)
• Facebook automatically associated that number with both his de-actived account and his wife's account (remember, they told him that they were removing it from his account, when he never had ever added it).

Question:

How can you remove something that was never "associated"?

 

[Sheldon]

I am the owner of that number, I receive the bill in my name. What gives facebook the right to give it to another person when they know it belongs to me (or they would not have emailed me) without me approving it first? To me, they do not care, it's all about getting a verified cell number, they do not care who is in possession of the phone.

I pay my GF's bill. Her # is in my name. If she goes to verify HER phone on Facebook, she will get the text. It's the #. What part of that are you missing? You'd seem to think you'd be relieved to know it isn't going off your name. It is the number.

If Facebook sends a text to verify (which they do) and the person who "attempted" to steal your number cannot enter the verification, it is null. Nothing changes. However, if they have your phone, or say, your wife has your phone... adds the number to facebook, it get the text, she can see it and type the necessary reply needed, then yes, the verification is changed to the new account. It doesn't matter who pays the primary bill.

 

[Adam Howard]

I am the owner of that number, I receive the bill in my name. What gives facebook the right to give it to another person when they know it belongs to me (or they would not have emailed me) without me approving it first? To me, they do not care, it's all about getting a verified cell number, they do not care who is in possession of the phone.

True.

Your cell number is tethered to the phone it is associated with and not actually the individual, except for billing reasons.

Think family cell phone plan (for example)

X phone is yours, Y phone is hers, Z phone is your kids..... All under your billing name, but so long as Y or Z person is using it for social networking... They can link it to their account. Social media doesn't care as long as Y and Z can prove they have physical possession of the phone.

What my point is... Is they were able to not only ID you as the owner, but connect it with your Facebook when you never added it to your account; when you're wife was only adding it to hers.

 

[Sheldon]

I am the owner of that number, I receive the bill in my name. What gives facebook the right to give it to another person when they know it belongs to me (or they would not have emailed me) without me approving it first? To me, they do not care, it's all about getting a verified cell number, they do not care who is in possession of the phone. It has nothing to do with recycled phone numbers: it *is* my wife's phone number, but it is in my name, and I never gave it to facebook.

Also, the do not "KNOW" it belongs to you. They only see the number was once verified under your profile. You change service, change numbers, etc... that number gets reused again later and you have never changed your information... the new owner adds it, then you might get an email.

You guys are looking WAYYYYYYY to deep into this conspiracy. I really don't think Facebook cares if it has a verified cell number or not. They get paid by ads, not cell #'s collected.

 

[Chris D]

They don't know who the owner of that number is (they actually don't have access to records from your mobile phone provider).

They have no idea it belongs to you. They know it was once on your profile. But they don't know the current arrangement of ownership.

What they care about is verifying that the person on Facebook is claiming the use of the correct phone number. Which, if the verification message is responded to, it would be. If it wasn't responded to, it wouldn't be.

There's nothing to get worked up about here. It's all worked out correct hasn't it?

 

[Sheldon]

I understand what Lawrence is saying and why he feels concern.

Follow this....

• Facebook automatically associated that number with both his de-actived account and his wife's account (remember, they told him that they were removing it from his account, when he never had ever added it).

Question:

How can you remove something that was never "associated"?

That he can remember. However, with the touching of tons of different apps associated, not to mention some phone actually automatically sync it, that cannot be determined. Facebook doesn't MAGICALLY just know everything. Sheesh.

You all are hilariously paranoid.

 

[Lawrence]

Is there any point in it going to you?

Let's say it wasn't your wife, and instead it was someone else and it was your phone. You would have received the text, ignored it and essentially the request from the Facebook user would be invalid and useless.

The point is, it should have been emailed to me first, to inform me. I do not own a cell phone (can't receive texts). The email I received did not ask me to verify anything, it *told* me the cell number (which I never gave them <- this) was removed from my profile (which was never on my profile <- this) and given to someone else.

 

[Sheldon]

The point is, it should have been emailed to me first, to inform me. I do not own a cell phone (can't receive texts). The email I received did not ask me to verify anything, it *told* me the cell number (which I never gave them) was removed from my profile (which was never on my profile) and given to someone else.

Only because they VERIFIED it. It was VERIFIED to be physically in someone else's POSSESSION. VERIFIED. They certainly didn't guess the verification code. The number that received the text REPLIED with the proper VERIFICATION. Why the need to inform you? They do not know when someone changes numbers, or quits using cell phones. If it is never VERIFIED, you don't get the email.

 

[Sheldon]

The email I received did not ask me to verify anything, it *told* me the cell number (which I never gave them <- this) was removed from my profile (which was never on my profile <- this) and given to someone else.

Somehow, one way or another, it was added onto your profile somehow, by someone, OTHER than Facebook. It isn't magic.

 

[Lawrence]

Only because they VERIFIED it. It was VERIFIED to be physically in someone else's POSSESSION. VERIFIED. They certainly didn't guess the verification code. The number that received the text REPLIED with the proper VERIFICATION. Why the need to inform you? They do not know when someone changes numbers, or quits using cell phones. If it is never VERIFIED, you don't get the email.

So I can be in possession of anyone's phone and thus verify any code sent. That is my point. When facebook knows the phone number belongs to someone else (which they did or they would not have emailed me), and allowed that number to be verified by phone by another facebook user, is wrong. It should be emailed to me first.

My wife apologizes for this thread, btw, as she said... "I just put my cell number in my profile"

 

[Sheldon]

When facebook knows the phone number belongs to someone else (which they did or they would not have emailed me), and allowed that number to be verified by phone by another facebook user, is wrong.

What part of "Facebook does not know who owns the number" are you skipping over? That is the entire point of the verification process.

 

[Adam Howard]

So I can be in possession of anyone's phone and thus verify any code sent. That is my point. When facebook knows the phone number belongs to someone else (which they did or they would not have emailed me), and allowed that number to be verified by phone by another facebook user, is wrong. It should be emailed to me first.

My wife apologizes for this thread, btw, as she said... "I just put my cell number in my profile"

Hello Mrs. Lawrence, you've done nothing wrong

Generally speaking, yes, as long as you have physical possession of a cell phone and can reply to a text, you could confirm it as your own.

And I think (assume) when you gave her the phone, that it was your intention that it would be her phone and thus her number.... But being the good man you are, you would continue to pay for it in your name.

So that part has all worked by design and intention (no worries).

The interesting point that you have noticed though is "some how" a NEW phone number which has only been around for 2 weeks (?) was associated with your account which has been de-actived for over a year (?). My explanation for that isn't "magic" it is "automatic association by relation" (neither of your doing per say, but a result of this)

 

[erich37]

Reverse Lookup

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/303811-think-your-phone-number-on-facebook-is-private-not-likely

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/10/phone-number-privacy-facebook/

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/16/facebook-to-exclude-phone-numbers-from-reverse-lookup/

 

[Lawrence]

Somehow, one way or another, it was added onto your profile somehow, by someone, OTHER than Facebook. It isn't magic.

I never owned a facebook account until XF came out. I created one to test some functionality with my wife's XF site. When XF came out, we both had our own cell numbers (which I never gave out to any site), with another carrier. The footprint was so bad the neither of us could use our cell phones. When our contract expired I went with another cell carrier that covered our area, and I purchased a new cell phone (an IPhone with a new number) for my wife, but I didn't get another because during the time I was with the old carrier I got away from relying on cell phones (and I love the freedom), so that cell number was never apart of any facebook account, and was never apart of my wife's active facebook account until today. How did they know to email me, and why did they bother since they allowed another facebook account to use it anyways without notifying me?

 

[Sheldon]

I quit. Really. I am getting a headache trying to explain this.

 

[Lawrence]

I quit. Really. I am getting a headache trying to explain this.

You haven't explained anything in regards to this thread. Why would facebook notify me that they removed a non-existent cell number from my profile page, and what gives them the rights to remove it anyways when they know it belongs to me (or I would not have been notified)?