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It Might Be Time to File Suit Against Facebook

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Real Estate Agent with Long and Foster Real Estate VA License # 0225089470

It Might Be Time to File Suit Against Facebook

As much as I hate to have to go this route, it might be time that I lawyer up and sue Facebook.  

On three separate ocassions, I have notified Facebook that my image was being used on fradulent profiles that were masquerading as me, but pretending to have prizes from a sweepstakes.  Talk about annoying.  Someone took my face, slapped it on a bulls*** profile and started trying to screw people out of money.  At least, that was what in the chat someone forwarded me from the fake profile.  "You've won a $5,000 prize.  To get it to you, we'll need your routing numbers to your bank account."

The first time around, Facebook never did anything.  Silly me, I thought I'd report it and it would be handled.  HA!  The second time it was brought to my attention, I reported the same profile for a few days and got nowhere.  Finally, I took a link to the fake profile and had my friends report it.  I used the power of Facebook to get attention where it belonged.  It was finally removed and so was my post about it.

Unfortunately, it happened a third time with a brand new fake profile.  I reported it again and went the route that got the fastest result, which was having my friends report the fake profile.  The problem this time was MY account was disabled.

I can not begin to tell you how frustrating this is.  My husband believes I am being stalked.  And after a closer examination of the photo being used last time, it turns out it was a scan of my business card image.  Odds are, this is someone local to me.  This time around, they grabbed an image from a local blog.

If this isn't resolved in the next few days, I'm going to have to file a report with the police and hire an attorney.  Either that, or I am going to be someone who goes completely without Facebook, which unfortunately, would negatively impact my business.

The irony of all of this is that the profile that is still up is someone who claims to be employed as a "Facebook Claim Agent."  How is that not verifiably fake when reported to the Facebook tech gods?

Comments(19)

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Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

OMG that is absolutely insane.  I hope they fix that immediately.  Unbelievable.

Nov 02, 2015 06:31 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

It is nuts.  And it is driving me batty that I can't talk to a human about the problem.

Nov 02, 2015 06:49 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

The sad thing is that this can happen to any of us at any time. I'm sorry it's happening to you.

Nov 02, 2015 06:53 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

It's happening in other places too.  It's very annoying.

Nov 02, 2015 06:59 AM
Sandra Thomas
Re/Max Achievers - London, OH

Sorry that happened.  Hope you get it squared away soon.  By the way.... how did you find out? 

Nov 02, 2015 07:00 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Someone who claims to have been approached by the scammer said they did a search for my picture and found my real profile.

Nov 02, 2015 07:32 AM
Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

What a nutty thing to have happen to you. And Facebook employees obviously are like Amazon ones and they don't care. And if they do care at all, it's not about a Realtor, that's for sure. Why don't you post stuff all over the fake site? Or ignore it? But the intelligence factor that says, hey, somebody is stalking one of our customers, so the easiest thing to do is to get rid of the customer is insanity talking.

Nov 02, 2015 07:23 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

I wish I could post stuff all over the fake one. It's private.  I have no clue what they are posting on there.  

Nov 02, 2015 07:33 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Chris Ann,

How awful that this is happening to you, and another reason we stay off of FB as much as possible.  Wishing you the best possible outcome. A

Nov 02, 2015 07:43 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Unfortunately, it is a great way to prospect in real estate.  It outproduces my Active Rain results.  

Nov 02, 2015 08:15 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Chris Ann,  I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this crap. I wish people would find constructive and helpful things to do with their time.

Nov 02, 2015 08:01 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Me too.

Nov 02, 2015 08:15 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

FEATURED IN CRAP-TACULAR

 

That is positively CRAPPY - Shame on the Crap-hole who is doing that and shame on FB for not taking appropriate action to help you.

Nov 02, 2015 08:02 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Thanks for the feature.

Nov 02, 2015 08:16 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Who is the head person at Facebook? Perhaps you could fnd a way to reach that person directly. 

Nov 02, 2015 08:12 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Mark Zuckerberg I guess.  I actually found a corporate number and when I called it, got a recording stating they no longer take support calls.

Nov 02, 2015 08:16 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Central CT Real Estate Broker Serving all equally

That is really sad.  So many scammers are just a step ahead of the legitimate sites and before anything  is done, they have done their harm

Nov 02, 2015 09:48 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

It is beyond annoying.

Nov 02, 2015 09:52 AM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

The more we put ourselves out there the more stuff like this happens.

Nov 02, 2015 10:05 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

True, but being out there helps me get business.  

Nov 02, 2015 12:28 PM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

Somebody has it in for you. One of your competitors perhaps?

Nov 02, 2015 10:13 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Hard for me to imagine, but it's possible I suppose.

Nov 02, 2015 12:28 PM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Chris Ann - Boy that sounds serious, and I am sorry you are having to deal with that. Hopefully there will be a way to resolve this issue, but I can see how easy it would be to set up a profile and post anyone's photo on it. Can you say 'catfish'.

Nov 02, 2015 10:35 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

I guess I have an honest face.  That's saying something.

Nov 02, 2015 12:28 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Chris Ann I was never a fan of FB so I am extra sorry to hear what happened or is happening to you... I hope you wake them up and slap them in the face...Endre

Nov 02, 2015 02:14 PM
Chris Ann Cleland

I hope I don't have to hire an attorney to do it.  

Nov 02, 2015 03:10 PM
Susan Haughton
Long and Foster REALTORS (703) 470-4545 - Alexandria, VA
Susan & Mindy Team...Honesty. Integrity. Results.

Incredibly frustrating, especially when a scam artist is getting away with fraudulent activity! Start a new page, do not use your photo for your profile - or maybe somehow photoshop your photo with a logo or something that would make it difficult for someone else to use...I don't know but it is infuriating that someone is getting away with this. 

Nov 02, 2015 08:39 PM
Chris Ann Cleland

I don't want to start a new page unless I know for certain they can't re-start the one I had.  My husband wrote them last night about it.  Maybe we can get their attention. 

Nov 03, 2015 12:34 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Chris Ann -- I'm so sorry this is happening to you.  I read through some of the comments and saw you called FB headquarters and was told there was no more customer service -- Yikes!   Maybe do a search to see how others have handled it successfully.  Keep us posted.  

Nov 02, 2015 11:29 PM
Chris Ann Cleland

With a billion subscribers, it's no wonder they don't take calls anymore.  We'll see what happens next.

Nov 03, 2015 12:35 AM
Alan Kirkpatrick
Austin Texas Homes - Round Rock, TX
Alan in Austin

Chris Ann Cleland 

This is scary stuff. Hopefully someone will step up at facebook quickly. They don't have trouble talking to us  when it comes to collecting our money for ads. 

Nov 04, 2015 05:13 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

Ads may be the way I finally get through to them.

Nov 04, 2015 07:10 AM
Janna Scharf
Keller Williams Realty Coeur d'Alene - Coeur d'Alene, ID
Coeur d'Alene Idaho Real Estate Expert

Oh wow.  I have someone who maliciously flags and disables my Craigslist posts, but in the overall scheme of things, that is NOTHING compared to what some hateful stalker is doing to you.  I am stunned that FB isnt more responsive to the situation.

Nov 04, 2015 09:14 AM
Chris Ann Cleland

I picture some power hungry geek getting my requests, with my ID, to re-instate my account and just laughing his butt off.

Nov 05, 2015 12:32 AM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

Hi strange and extremely awkward. FB is slow in handling the users issues. I hope, you'll shake them up. Good luck.

Nov 05, 2015 02:12 PM
Chris Ann Cleland

I've finally heard back from them with a request for documentation.  Sent it yesterday.  May be another week before I hear back on that.

Nov 06, 2015 01:07 AM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Chris Ann just stopped in to see what the latest update is, if this does not work out how about tracking down Signor Zuckeberg...Endre

Nov 09, 2015 03:16 PM
Chris Ann Cleland

I have actually made contact and am in the process of sending the information they requested to re-instate my account.  If that doesn't work, our corporate attorneys are standing by as this will majorly affect my business.  

Nov 10, 2015 12:59 AM
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