Two-Factor Authentication Isn’t Perfect
It usually works. The authenticating site sends a code to your phone, you enter the code, and voila! you’re in. But what if the code-send feature is faulty?
I was locked out of Facebook in August of 2021, but the tips in this article still work.
Speculation About Why It Happened
Facebook told me I was trying to access my profile via a different browser, which was not the case. I had used Firefox for years. However, could the problem have been related to a browser extension. I was running — Facebook Container — which prevents Facebook from tracking you wherever you go?
For instance, if Facebook Container wasn’t running when I searched the net for Aerogardens, the next time I accessed Facebook, I would see ads for hydroponic products.
The irony is that I intended to set up a promo for my books. There I was, ready to put money into Facebook coffers, and I couldn’t. After several days of jumping through hoops caused by deficiencies in their software, I changed my mind.
You Can Learn from a Few Things I Did Wrong
- My writer page had one administrator: me. Because my personal account was inaccessible, so was my writer page.
- I used one browser for every login. That meant I couldn’t verify my account from another browser or from my phone.
- I didn’t add three to five trusted contacts who could receive and send me an authentication code. Note: The trusted contacts feature has since been deactivated by Facebook.
A Few Reasons I Was Beyond Frustrated
- Unlike many other sites, Facebook provides no live chats or phone support.
- They don’t offer a way to receive voice authentication codes.
- Their interface for taking a photo of a supporting document is substandard. No matter what I did, Facebook insisted there wasn’t enough light from my computer, and there was no way to switch from the back camera to the front. In retrospect, maybe I should have used my phone. Duh.
I’d like to crow that I got loads of writing done while I couldn’t access Facebook. Uh uh. Too much researching, trying this and that and this again, and learning a few new !^$#^&% words. Actually, skip the last part. I knew the words, and I pride myself on not saying them.
Out loud.
What I Did to Validate My Account
- I spent more time than I’d like to admit searching for online solutions.
- I found a link to upload scanned copies of documents. For security reasons, I didn’t want to share my driver’s license or passport, so I opted for a utility bill and an auto club membership card.
- I also deleted the Facebook Container extension.
- And then, I waited.
Here’s the email Facebook sent approximately thirty-six hours after I uploaded the initial documents:
Hi,
We can’t give you access to this account or help with your request until we receive an accepted form of ID that matches the information listed on the account. Learn more about the types of ID we accept in the Help Center:
https://www.facebook.com/help/159096464162185?ref=cr
Thanks,
The Facebook Team
I uploaded two different documents — a marriage certificate and a government-issued healthcare card.
After Another Thirty-Six Hours
An identical email was delivered to my inbox. I suspect that their AI is too unsophisticated to recognize that Katherine and Kathy are the same person.
I decided it was time to set up a different account and start a new author page. Unfortunately, I had several hundred business cards and letterheads that needed to be shredded and reordered.
To say I was unhappy would be a gross understatement.
The Writer’s Lexicon series
and additional resources on my Facebook page.
What I Did Once I Had a New Author Page
- I added at least one other administrator.
- I added trusted contacts. (No longer supported by Facebook.)
- I added another email address — an address that nobody else is likely to know (i.e. not my business email or one associated with my domain)
- I accessed my account from other browsers.
If You Experience a Similar Problem, Avoid Scammers
Beware this supposed Facebook support email: DirectFBhelps@Outlook.com. And I’m sure there are many others.
Valid Facebook support addresses end in:
- @support.facebook.com
- @facebook.com
- @fb.com
You Can Get in Touch With Facebook via Mail
Sometimes the best approach is old-fashioned. Facebook’s mailing address:
Facebook Headquarters
1 Hacker Way
Menlo Park, CA 94025
USA
Links That Could Help You Avoid a Similar Catastrophe
How can I make sure I don’t lose access to my Facebook account?
What types of ID does Facebook accept?
I turned on two-factor authentication on Facebook but now I can’t log in.
How do I get Facebook recovery login codes to use when I don’t have my phone?
It’s a New Era with My New Author Page
And I changed other social media links to conform with the new Facebook moniker, which is easier to remember and spell:
The Writer’s Lexicon series
and additional resources on my Facebook page.
Discover more from KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers
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That is horrid. I can’t believe what you went through. You must feel FB is worth it–you get enough traffic from them? Yikes! Just Yikes!
Thanks, Jacqui.
Yes, it’s worth it, and I miss my writer friends. 🙁
Omggggggggg Kathy. What a rigamarole. Fakebook is changing everything. I can’t believe you went through so much trouble to get your page back. They are awful, and yay for you getting those contact links and address. FB wants us to pay for exposure now. Quite a few of us writing friends have commented on the ‘sudden’ loss of readership on our author pages. Sally and Colleen closed their author page a year ago, and I’m getting real close, especially since I hardly even get ‘likes’ on my author page anymore in the last few months when they changed their platform for the umpeenth time. They want us to pay by ‘boosting’ the post. So gross and greedy.
Of course I’m sharing. And I’ll include this in my August Writer’s Tips. Hugs 🙂
Thanks, Debby.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get my page back. I had to start from scratch. 🙁
I noticed other problems as well over the last couple of days. For instance, some groups allow you to join with either your author page or your personal page. Hmm, I thought, it makes sense to choose my author page. Not. Even if I turn off all notifications and unfollow the group, my author page notifications tell me about Every Single Post made to the group. So I unjoined and rejoined with my personal account. More work for me, and more work for page administrators.
Here’s the URL of the post: https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/facebook-ai/
Now, back to multitasking and fixing all the little fires.
Good luck with everything you’re experiencing, and stay safe!
My God, what a mess. It’s as if they want to punish you for having the Facebook Container extension. Thanks for sharing your discoveries and new precautions.
Thanks, Roz. Finding all my social media links is proving to be a *^&$#@@ experience. 🙂
Thanks for the information. I only use Facebook for keeping in touch with family and friends. Still get inundated with tons of “suggestions” and ads from everywhere that I ignore. But they are a pain. To see one post from a family member I have to scroll through 20 or so other items I don’t care about and didn’t ask for. So no, I won’t use FB for advertising. I also have alternate emails that no one else uses. Thanks for your helpful info.
My pleasure, Carri. If someone else can learn from my mistakes, they serve a purpose.
Have you tried favoriting the people and pages you want to see and then accessing Facebook with this link?
https://www.facebook.com/?sk=favorites
Malwarebytes does help cut down on the ads.
Stay safe!
My solution was to cease using Facebook. There are other marketing platforms that do not try to track you in real-time or secretly sell your info. ♀️
But that’s just me.
Thanks, J R.
I have Malwarebytes, which cuts out a lot of the garbage, and my remarks about Facebook Container are pure speculation. However …
So sorry you had to deal with this nightmare, Kathy.
Other than for contact with family and friends, I stopped taking FB seriously long ago. AI is only as good as it’s creator, and if a platform as large as FB can’t be bothered to offer live customer support even for limited hours, I cannot be bothered with them.
Thanks, Felicia.
It is great for contact with family and friends, but for now I’ll keep the page going as well. If Facebook starts to charge, I’ll be gone faster than a newlywed’s nightie. 🙂 (One of my husband’s favorite comebacks.)
Does anyone know how to change your URL at Author Central? It’s easy to set it up, but I don’t see a way to alter it.