What To Do If Someone Uses Your Name On Facebook?

Having someone use your name on Facebook or any other social media outlet is not only disturbing but also puts your personal information at the risk of being leaked. This article will explain the steps to follow if someone uses your name on Facebook, gains access to your account or creates a fake account in your name. We will also discuss how you can prevent such incidents by increasing your online security and creating safer passwords to avoid having your social media outlets or email accessed by others.

What To Do If Someone Uses Your Name On Facebook?

If someone uses your name on Facebook, you should inform Facebook immediately in one of the following ways:

Report the profile to Facebook. You can do this by clicking on the right side of the cover photo of the imposter profile and choosing the option “report this account”. Next, you should follow the step-by-step instructions that you get from Facebook help by clicking on the best options that best describe your situation and adding details where necessary.

If you don’t have access to the Facebook account that is using your name (this usually happens if they have blocked you), you can ask a friend to help you in reporting the profile or page to Facebook. To do this, your friend will need to click on the “report this account” option on the imposter profile page.

If you don’t have a Facebook account but you know that someone else is using your name on Facebook, you can click on the “help” section which will guide you to an online form to lodge your complaint with Facebook. You will be asked to select the best option that best describes your current situation such as someone using your email address, the name of your business or organisation or falsely claiming your name.

If you gain access to your account, you should inform your friends and family to be wary of the fake account or hacked profile. If you cant access your Facebook account during this time or you don’t have a real account and are being impersonated, you can inform people close to you through a text message so that the impersonator does not gain access to the people in your contact list or send harmful messages to them.

If your Facebook profile is linked to a business page on the website or there are details of financial transactions taking place through an online service that you provide through the social media channel, you may have to report the matter to Action Fraud as well especially if you have shared back account details with customers on your Facebook page.

To prevent such incidents from happening in the future, you can switch on your two-factor authentication, avoid using Facebook on a public computer and log out of your session if do use it and be careful about who you add as a Facebook friend or allow to message you.

What To Do If Someone Has Hacked My Facebook Account?

If someone has hacked your current Facebook account by gaining access to your login details, you should lodge a complaint with Facebook through their help section. If your account has been compromised, you will need to click on the “My account is compromised” button. However, if someone is using your account, you can inform Facebook and answer their questions to secure your account.

Users can tell that their Facebook account has been hacked if they face any of the following situations:

Your email address, password or personal details have changed
Friend requests have been sent to people you don’t know
Unsolicited messages have been sent without your knowledge
Posts, stories, ads or even pages have been made without you doing so

How Can I Protect My Facebook Account?

In order to protect your Facebook account, you should follow these tips:

Don’t share your password with anyone else
Don’t leave a Facebook session logged in while using someone else’s computer
Don’t share emails received from Facebook with anyone else
Don’t allow people you don’t know well to access your email, Facebook or even your mobile
Beware of scammers and fake websites
Be careful about malicious software
Keep your system and web browser updated
Sign up for security alerts and use the two-factor authentication option
Keep your location settings off
Clear your browsing data frequently
Stop data collection through partner websites
Limit access to your posts and photos
Review your Facebook friends list and remove anyone that you don’t know

How Can I Protect My Passwords?

Having a strong and secure password is key to protecting your online presence safe and minimising the risk of someone gaining access to your social media sites including Facebook. You can improve your password complexity by following these steps as it makes it difficult for hackers or scammers to access your login details:

Passwords should be at least six characters long with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols
You change your passwords frequently
Avoid keeping the same password for multiple online sites
Do not use obvious words or personal information like passwords or answers to security questions

Conclusion:

If someone uses your name on Facebook or gains access to your existing account, the first step you should follow is to use the “report” or “help” section on the Facebook website to lodge a complaint against them. While Facebook conducts its own investigation into the matter, you should make sure that you share all relevant details during your complaint and then change your account password if you still have access to your Facebook account.

FAQs: What To Do If Someone Uses Your Name On Facebook?

What to do if someone makes a fake account of you?

If you suspect that someone has made a fake account in your name or your business, you should report it immediately to the concerned social media channel through the help section on their website.

How do I delete a fake Facebook account?

You will not be able to delete a fake Facebook account unless you’ve made it yourself. If you suspect a fake account, you should click on the “report this account” tab on the account profile and share details about why you think it is fake.

How many reports does it take to close a Facebook account?

Closing a Facebook account depends on the seriousness of the matter and the severity of the consequences as a result of keeping the account active. In some cases, Facebook accounts have been closed within 24 hours of a single complaint as the evidence was strong against them and the seriousness of the complaint was high.

Is impersonating someone on Facebook illegal?

Yes, impersonating someone on Facebook is illegal in some parts of the world while it is generally a cybercrime. Depending on the consequences of impersonating someone on Facebook, the impersonator can face legal action.

What happens when you report a Facebook account?

When you report a Facebook account, the website officials conduct an investigation to confirm whether the account meets their community guidelines and standards. If the find your complaint to be authentic especially if you have provided evidence, the account may be closed by Facebook.