What should you do when your phone number is connected to somebody else’s Facebook account? It happens more often than you might think: you forget your Facebook password, or get locked out, so you try to initiate the mobile recovery process by putting in your cell number to have Facebook text you a code, and when you enter the code somebody else’s profile picture and account come up.
In fact, earlier this year VentureBeat reported on someone who had this exact problem. As Elliott Beck related to VentureBeat, when he tried to log into his Facebook account after having not accessed it for several months, he couldnt remember his password and so initiated a password reset by having a code texted to his cell phone.
Once Beck received the code via text message, he entered it in order to access his Facebook account, however… it wasn’t his Facebook account that he accessed. Said Beck, “I had a different picture, and then a message popped up from somebody else that wasn’t anybody I knew, that was written in Spanish. Then I realized I’m on someone else’s page.”
How does this happen? Well, it can happen in a couple of ways:
- You got a phone number that belonged to somebody else first, and they associated that phone number with their Facebook account, and then changed phone numbers, never removing their old (now your) phone number from their Facebook account
- The other person signed up for Facebook before you, and typoed their phone number as yours when they signed up for Facebook, and never verified it (because they couldn’t, because they don’t actually have the phone associated with that phone number)
So what to do about it?
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
Well, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so if you aren’t reading this because it just happened to you, then go right now to your Facebook account mobile number settings and remove any old telephone numbers, and make sure that your current cell number is verified. Also be sure to check that your email address is up-to-date, and if you have a land line or alternate cell number, add that too, so that if you do end up with the situation where you have somebody else’s cell number as your password or account access recovery number, Facebook has an alternate way to contact you.
But what if this has already happened to you, and that’s why you’re reading this?
Fortunately, Facebook has a form that you can fill out for just this situation, and yes, you can access it even if you aren’t logged in to Facebook. Of course, it may take them a bit of time to resolve the issue, or get back to you (or they may just resolve the issue without getting back to you).
What to Do When Your Phone Number is Associated with Someone Else’s Facebook Account
If you find that your telephone number is associated with somebody else’s Facebook account, all is not lost. In fact, Facebook has a form that is specifically for reporting just such an issue, so we guess it must happen a not insignificant amount of the time.
In order to fill out the form you will need to know who your cell carrier is, as well as, of course, the telephone number in question. If you are not logged in to Facebook, you will also need to provide your email address – be sure it is the email address associated with your Facebook account (which is why, above, we advise you to always make sure that Facebook has the right email address for you).
Once you have all of that information ready, you can find Facebook’s form for reporting an issue with verifying your account
Report an Issue with Verifying Your Facebook Account
(Note that this information is current as of November, 2019)
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
Me too it’s unreal what is even more unbelievable is the man looks familiar and his daughter has my name and his son has the same name that my mother insisted I name my son lol it’s eery to say the least I have actually tried messaging his family and friends and thought the green active button was in for all, have gotten no response back just see the … That they are on and have gotten a hello when I call and then hung up on… I’m baffled at this point and it’s the second time this has happened the first time it was a man named Matt and I got literally all his pictures and he as well looked familiar to me,that was somewhat resolved but this new person Dave is from England and surrounding areas….too weird. I called the Mobil company and I get the same Chinese or Japanese Lady every single time I call night or day! Now how is that even possible for one woman to handle all calls, not know a thing, unable to give you a name of another person who can assist, and keep asking for your credit card number as the only way to help or change my number lol 😂 I paid cash for phone and never gave my credit card only the sim, serial number of phone and the scratch off pin on the pre paid card!! Please somebody guide me into the truth of this 🙏 thank you
I haven’t been on Facebook for many years. I tried to login. Found couldn’t
Others seem to be using my email address. I don’t do text messaging. Only rely
on email address and landline.Not digitally confident. Could you please assist me?
Hello, Dorothy. Unfortunately we are unable to assist you as we have no connection to Facebook. The best thing (really the only thing) you can do is to go to the Facebook help center, here: https://www.facebook.com/help OR, you could just create a new Facebook account.
Dear Customer Service,
I recently purchased a phone and have been using it for one or two months. Recently, I decided to reenact my Facebook page. Using the new phone number, it brought up a woman’s Facebook page who I learned lives in another state. Apparently, the phone number associated with my phone has been recycled and used to be this other person’s phone number. And it’s been so long since I originally setup my Facebook page that I’m not sure which phone number I was using at the time when I created it. I’ve changed phones several times over the past couple years and with a new phone came a new number. What can I do at this point to unlink my phone number with her page? I tried calling the Facebook Customer Service number and I got a recording that Facebook is not providing phone support at this time. In addition to the erroneous Facebook page, I am also receiving phone calls from people I don’t know. I even received a Happy Mother’s Day text on Mother’s Day (I happen to be a man).
So….any suggestions or advice that will help me.
I appreciate your time and response.
John Skinner
Did you receive an answer for your question. I got same problem
New phone fb account belongs to someone else along with my old email address what do I do.
My new phone and number has still got someone else’s Facebook account
My number is associated with another person. Please please assist me urgently
Hi I got a new phone and was trying to get Facebook but my phone number and email has given me someone else everything I try to get my own account it keeps logging somebody else the same person maybe iv done something wrong
Please help me w/ my Facebook account it was hacked also my instagram account and this person also opened up a kik account
Pls my Facebook account it was hacked I need your help Thanks ?
I was recently hacked on facebook and created a new account and now I cannot use my mobile phone to verify my account as it was used on a different account.