Archive for February, 2024

Facebook Security – Part 3 – Don’t ID.me

February 24, 2024

Four days after receiving the previous message from what I’m not 100% sure is Facebook, the following message arrived at 2:58 a.m. I had never heard of ID.me prior to this and could not have responded by clicking on the link because it expired 15 minutes later, hours before I got out of bed. That was only the first thing that caused me to be skeptical about this particular message. The second thing was that it thanked me for requesting ID.me verification. The third thing was text in the message: “A one time auto ID.me.” I didn’t consider the message further because of the poor grammar that a major corporation would not have used. I can’t say with certainty this is the end of the story or not because I can’t predict what whoever it is that is messaging me might do next, if anything.

After writing, but not yet posting, this installment, my wife handed me an article from the February 6, 2024 edition of the Wall Street Journal. Buried in Jay Starkman’s “Beware of E-Filing Your Tax Return” is this little nugget: “I advise my clients not to use ID.me because it is a private database of personal information. My clients have no control over it and must trust that it won’t be hacked.”

Facebook Security Issues – Part 2

February 21, 2024

After posting the information contained in Part 1, I received the following advice in an email message from someone I don’t know: “Reach out to Facebook.sec@mail.com

I sent the message string from Part 1 to the address above. Follows is the message string that resulted.

From: Facebook.sec@mail.com <Facebook.sec@mail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2024 12:05 AM
To: tom@tuxedo-press.com
Subject: Re: Facebook security problem

Hello welcome dear, we got your complaint and we plead for the inconveniences this may have caused, we will get this in progress and get a review may we know when did this happened?

I responded with the following:

This happened between December 14, 2023 to February 3, 2024.

From: Facebook.sec@mail.com <Facebook.sec@mail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2024 12:52 AM
To: tom@tuxedo-press.com
Subject: Re: RE: Facebook security problem

OK kindly send the necessary information linked to the account 

Username /email address linked to the account and also the URL link of the affected profile 

I responded with the following:

It doesn’t look like you have read my initial email. My account was linked to the email I’ve been communicating to you with. Because Facebook canceled me I cannot logon and get the URL link for the profile. I’m beginning to think Facebook doesn’t take security seriously.

From: Facebook.sec@mail.com <Facebook.sec@mail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2024 8:06 AM
To: tom@tuxedo-press.com
Subject: Re: RE: RE: Facebook security problem

Okay you will have to purchase an access account ownership pass for $200 which is fully refundable after you have gotten access to your account…

I responded with the following:

You’ve got to be kidding me. I have given you the email address associated with my account. Your technicians shouldn’t need anything else. I’m not going to give Facebook a nickel because of their incompetence.

From: Facebook.sec@mail.com <Facebook.sec@mail.com>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2024 9:29 AM
To: tom@tuxedo-press.com
Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: Facebook security problem

It’s refundable after your access 

Sent using the mail.com mail app

I responded with the following:

I do not trust Facebook to do that after the treatment they have given me. This security problem is of their own creation, probably through incompetence. My money isn’t needed to unlock my account and I have doubts that unlocking it is even necessary.

<To be continued>

Facebook Security Issues – Part 1

February 18, 2024

Facebook appears to have a security problem – Part 1

I received an email from a friend earlier this month that included a conversation I supposedly had with this friend over Facebook (included below). The friend, whose name I replaced with XXX for privacy, thought the exchange was odd, especially since the friend knew Facebook had canceled me in October. I don’t know exactly why—they never tell you—but suspect it was because I posted something positive about Carlisle Indian School just hours before the cancellation. I formatted the conversation to make it easier for a reader to follow. Facebook identified my supposed part of the conversation under “Tom Benjey” and my friend’s supposed part under “You said.” None of what was said makes any sense to either of us. The friend suspects that the conversation was intended for another person having the same name. To the best of my knowledge, I’m the only person with my name. There are few Benjeys in the country.

After being informed of this conversation, I attempted to sign onto Facebook and was blocked. I am still canceled. So, some hacker must have figured out how to get into a canceled account somehow. Who knows what mischief the hacker is doing?

Tom Benjey

Facebook

You’re friends on Facebook

December 14, 2023

12/14/23, 6:40 AM

Tom

Hello XXX

December 19, 2023

12/19/23, 10:57 AM

You sent

A foot in the door!

December 19, 2023

12/19/23, 2:32 PM

Tom

How have you been?

December 21, 2023

12/21/23, 12:32 AM

You sent

I have a small toe problem. How about you?

January 26 at 3:18 PM

Jan 26, 2024, 3:18 PM

Tom

What is that

You sent

Broken small toe. Now healed.

January 31 at 10:49 AM

Wed 10:49 AM

Tom

Enjoy your happy moments of life… … I saw your in DHHS winners have you heard anything about them yet !!?

Yesterday at 4:59 PM

Fri 4:59 PM

You sent

Don’t know anything about DHHS winners. Must be another XXX

Today at 10:31 AM

10:31 AM

Tom

It’s Department Human of health services they are helping people all over the world like workers,, young, students, widowed, Retired and people with disabled to benefit from their financially to maintain the good standard of living 2023/2024, Have you received any money from them?

<To be continued>

John Two Guns White Calf

February 8, 2024

Kerry Byrnes has written a most interesting article about how John Two Guns White Calf, whose image adorned Washington Redskins helmets and logos starting in 1972 before being canceled in 2020. The entire article can be found here:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/canceled-tribal-chief-white-calf-face-of-the-redskins-generates-new-support-nationwide/ar-BB1hQwhC

One thing I learned was that NCAI, the organization that got the Redskins name canceled, is funded by George Soros. Soros is the person who funded numerous candidates for Attorney General and District Attorney offices. Those people are the ones who have created havoc in their cities and states by refusing to charge criminals with serious crimes and to release them without bail if they get arrested.

I enjoyed reading Byrnes’ article because, on the whole, it is accurate where most pieces on the Redskins or Carlisle Indian School are not. However, one sentence is incorrect: “The franchise changed its name to the Boston Redskins as a tribute to their hosts and to maintain their Tammany identity and uniforms.” This error regarding the uniforms was previously promulgated in a Boston newspaper (the Globe if I recall correctly) in an attempt to smear owner George Preston Marshall for being cheap.

The 1932 Boston Braves wore plain blue jerseys with gold numerals. The 1933 Boston Redskins sported maroon uniforms with an Indian head on the front with gold stripes on the collar and wrists. Because the new team colors were so similar to those of Carlisle Indian School (red and old gold) and that Head Coach Lone Star Dietz was also an artist, he may have designed the new uniforms. He borrowed the idea of putting an Indian head on the front of the jerseys from the Chicago Blackhawks ice hockey team. He probably used the same Tammany image as had been used on the Braves letterhead (but not on their uniforms). The Redskins were forced to wear the old Braves uniforms the first week of the season because their new ones hadn’t arrived yet.

Discount on Gridiron Gypsies

February 4, 2024

One of the printers that print my books now offers the ability to purchase books they print directly from them rather that from the publisher or a reseller. The advantage to the buyer is that books can be bought at a discount and with a reduced shipping charge. The disadvantage is that personal inscriptions aren’t available. As an experiment, Gridiron Gypsies has been enrolled in this program. To order a book this way, either take a photo of the QR Code above with your cellphone camera and follow the link or click on the book cover below.

Either way, Gridiron Gypsies only costs $19.79 plus $3.00 shipping.