Would you send in your ID to Facebook to recover your account?
August 28, 2019 11:17 AM Subscribe
I would like to recover my old Facebook account that had connections with people from my childhood and school years. In order to recover it, they are asking me to send in a picture of a government issued ID to confirm my identity. Are there any risks in doing so?
I opened it when Facebook just started but I deleted it over 7 years ago... I realized that there are some people I would like to reconnect with in my past that I have no idea how to otherwise. (Also I can't remember anyone's last names.)
I opened it when Facebook just started but I deleted it over 7 years ago... I realized that there are some people I would like to reconnect with in my past that I have no idea how to otherwise. (Also I can't remember anyone's last names.)
I have sent in a picture of my ID and me holding my ID to various online sites to verify my identity - this is pretty standard. Consider that many places that check your ID now scan/swipe it and harvest the information, it's not that secret.
posted by momus_window at 11:48 AM on August 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by momus_window at 11:48 AM on August 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
The risks of having a Facebook account which contains your personal information and serves as a vector for social engineering and identity theft are vastly greater than the risks of sending Facebook a scan of your driver's licence. You can probably black out the number on your licence before sending it to further reduce the risk.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:55 AM on August 28, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 11:55 AM on August 28, 2019 [7 favorites]
I asked a similar question awhile back and the answers were along the lines of sure, why the hell not? So I did, and it was fine. As far as I know.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 12:06 PM on August 28, 2019
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 12:06 PM on August 28, 2019
I am a tin foil hat type when it comes to my online privacy. I do not have a FB account or an Insta account. I go through hoops to protect whatever it is I think needs protecting. My 20 something kids laugh at me.
I bring this all up as background for my answer. Yes, send them a copy. I would black out or redact the document number except for the last 3 or 4 digits. I would send it as a pdf.
To me, one of the reasons they would accept the ID is that they probably have enough information about you already so that they can reasonably confirm that the ID you sent is legit.
Good luck reconnecting!
posted by AugustWest at 2:35 PM on August 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
I bring this all up as background for my answer. Yes, send them a copy. I would black out or redact the document number except for the last 3 or 4 digits. I would send it as a pdf.
To me, one of the reasons they would accept the ID is that they probably have enough information about you already so that they can reasonably confirm that the ID you sent is legit.
Good luck reconnecting!
posted by AugustWest at 2:35 PM on August 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'm of the opinion that Facebook is a dying system and someone in a similar situation. I have chosen not to proceed forward with the ID verification.
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:06 PM on August 28, 2019
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:06 PM on August 28, 2019
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Smarter people than me can probably address specific risks, but, y'know. The world is a hazardous place. I wouldn't let theoretical concerns about digital privacy stop me from trying to reconnect with an actual human being who matters to me.
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:46 AM on August 28, 2019 [5 favorites]