Safety and security of your Facebook account and information is very important. Facebook is the world’s largest online social network. You may be using it to put all kinds of personal information up there for easy access. Also, after a while Facebook becomes a world in itself because of so many friends and conversations. In fact people sometimes may feel addicted to Facebook. In such circumstances, it is important that you keep your Facebook password very safe.
The other day a TechWelkin reader asked me, “I am receiving repeated SMS text messages on my mobile phone. The message asks me to reset my Facebook password. But I never asked Facebook to change or reset my password. Do you think it is a fraud?”
Well, yes, indeed it could be a fraud and an attempt to hack your Facebook account.
You may also have got SMS or text messages giving you Facebook password reset code. Facebook sends such a code to your registered mobile phone when you use options like Forgot Password. But you may be getting such text messages without your asking for them!
Online Safety is very important. You must be careful about it.
My reader who asked the above question has shared with me such an SMS. The text is like given below:
###### is your Facebook Password reset code, or reset your password here: (https: // fb. com /…………… ). To reply send SMS to ############
Assuming you’ve not made a request to reset your Facebook password, all other possibilities are rouge. Some of these scenarios are:
- Someone is repeatedly trying to log into your Facebook account
- A bot (a software that works automatically) is trying to guess your password.
- It is a phishing attempt. This means that no one is trying to open your Facebook account and this SMS / text message was sent to you with a bad link which, if you’ll follow it, will steal your password. The link will open a bad website which may look like Facebook and ask you to enter your current password and then a new password. Obviously, they will trash the “new” password and use the current password to open your Facebook account.
If you have not requested such a code, the only thing you should do is DO NOTHING.
Do not click on any link given in the SMS text message. Do not call any phone number given in such a message.
If it is a case of phishing, doing nothing will keep your Facebook account safe.
However, if a person or a software is trying to guess your password, it is better that you think about the strength of your password. Any of your passwords, be it for Facebook or something else, must not be guessable. Most people use very weak and guessable passwords. (use our strong password generator)
Think about your password and if you believe that it is not strong enough, go and log into your Facebook account and change your password to a better one.
Some people have also reported that, instead of SMS text message, they get phone call from different numbers. The automatic IVR response on phone asks these Facebook users to reset their Facebook passwords.
If you also get such a call, DO NOT do anything that they say. Just disconnect the call and block the number. Mobile apps like TrueCaller can help you finding details of the unknown number. TrueCaller also provides you the facility to block incoming calls and marking a phone number as spam.
If you reset password because of such unwarranted SMS, emails or phone calls, and lose access to your Facebook account, DO NOT WORRY! Facebook can help you get your account back. Go to https://www.facebook.com/hacked and follow their instructions.
I hope this information was useful for you. Please feel free to ask should you have any questions on this topic. I will be happy to try and help. Thank you for using TechWelkin.
Sharon says
I desperately need to delete my phone number from face book but won’t let me remove it..
grant gammell says
a friend whom i know blocked me on facebook, lately i received an sms from her mobile number asking me to key in the code number given by her, what does that mean
Lalit Kumar says
Not completely sure. But such a process is used by Facebook when someone really forgets her password. In such a case, Facebook allows the person to access her account if 5 trusted Facebook users enter a given key on her behalf. That tells Facebook that all those users know that the person is same as she is claiming to be.
Sancho says
SMS messages requesting reset of a named Facebook account require *both* the correct mobile phone number and the correct Facebook account name. How can anyone have both my Facebook account name and cell phone number unless Facebook has already been hacked? The two do not appear together in any account anywhere except for Facebook.
jb says
Why am I get A facebook message when I recieve a text message on my
phone
modoulamin says
When i try get into my Facebook account, my password is always incorrect. Why?
Lalit Kumar says
Probably you are entering email / mobile number is wrong. Or may be CAPS Lock is on… or may be you have forgotten your Facebook password.
grace eki says
How can I get my Facebook password through text message?
Lalit Kumar says
You can not get your FB password through text message!
karen richardson says
If I open a Facebook account with a different name, will my real name show up on the new account too? The reason for my question is that my job requires me to have contact with people anonymously, while working “undercover”.
Lalit Kumar says
Facebook does not really appreciate such undercover accounts. Your account may get banned if people will report your activities as nuisance. However, if you don’t tell your real name to Facebook, the service would have no way to know it.
Anon says
I was sent the same message from 32665 but in Spanish, now I read somewhere that there is nothing to worry because the person cannot do anything without the confirmation code. But it bothers me to know that someone is trying to use my phone number for their account. Is it possible to find out who is trying to do so?
Lalit Kumar says
I don’t think it is possible to know who is trying to use your phone number for Facebook. But it is true that without confirmation code such attempts will not work. So, don’t worry and don’t follow the links given in unsolicited text messages.
Brenda says
I got a message giving me a code and link to reset my password. I got curious and done the reset password myself. I got a new message from “FACEBOOK”, the other message was from “Facebook”. People around me getting hacked too. My point is; do not trust any random message.
Lalit Kumar says
You’re absolutely right Brenda. We all need to be very careful about all this. These unsolicited Facebook password reset messages are annoying. I have been regularly getting such messages since last one year or so. It’s better to ignore such unsolicited messages.
Siwe ka-Nonhintsi pupa says
I want to login to my old Facebook but I can’t as it says “I’ve entered a wrong password”. But the matter is that I used one phone number on both my Facebook accounts but different passwords and now my old Facebook doesn’t appear. What can I do? I no longer have access to my email address.
Lalit Kumar says
Well, in all such cases, the best thing to do is to contact the Facebook Support. Facebook is a rapidly changing system -so the support people are best placed to solve such inaccessible Facebook account problems.
Stephanie says
It doesn’t give me a choice to receive my codes through text message. It sends to my Facebook email and I can’t receive anything there, what can I do? I am locked out of my Facebook.
Lalit Kumar says
Well, in that case you should contact Facebook support.
RAshmi says
facebook reset password send code to only my old mobile number. How do i get code on my new mobile number. In case i forgot my password
Lalit Kumar says
There is no way to change the registered phone number without logging into your Facebook account. So, you will have to contact FB support to sort out this problem. Here I would like to give you one advice if you don’t mind. Please take social media seriously. Either we should not use it at all or we should use it with full care. It is imperative to change the registered phone number in all online accounts if you happen to change your number.
lamunu says
How to reset password? I have requested and the code was send to my mobile phone.
Lalit Kumar says
If you have received a reset code on your own request, then you should use it. FB will ask you to enter this code on website while resetting the password.
susmita kundu says
How to reset Facebook password if the phone number registered by me is blocked? Please help me.plz plz plz
Lalit Kumar says
If you can’t access your phone, then you can take the route of answering secret questions, or use registered email for getting the reset code.
Meshi says
How to reset Facebook password if the phone number registered by me is blocked? Please help me.
Lalit Kumar says
You should contact Facebook support in such a case.
Shelley says
I keep trying to get back on FB, and got reset codes to use, but they are not working. Help, I can’t get back on FB.
Lalit Kumar says
Hi Shelly, if your reset codes are not working, you should immediately notify this to the Facebook support. Only they can help you in this regard.
sonia mehta says
I dont know about my Facebook account password
Lalit Kumar says
Dear Sonia, I am not sure what exactly you meant, but let me repeat, you should not follow the link given in SMS if you have not requested the Facebook password reset code. Unsolicited reset codes should not be entertained.
joy says
I would like to know my security code so that I can reset my fb password
Lalit Kumar says
Joy, no one can tell you such a code! You should go to Facebook and use the “Forgot Password” facility. Facebook may send the reset code on your registered mobile number.
Harrison says
I closed my Facebook account a few years ago and my phone number has also since changed. Yet, I keep receiving text messages from "32665" providing me with a Facebook security code. I have texted the number back with "STOP" but I never received a confirmation message and I still receive this text message frequently. Any advice on what I should do?
Thanks,
Harry
Lalit Kumar says
Hello Harry, clearly the text messages you are getting are bogus. These messages are purported to be sent by Facebook but I highly doubt it. In any case, the golden rule of Internet is, if you don't think you don't have anything to do with it, just delete it! Howsoever, irritating such text messages might be, but the best way is just to ignore them. After a while, these messages will stop coming. Any response from your side, however, may worsen the situation.