How can facebook know what my Thai phone number is?

[thaibeachlovers]

I got a message on my phone from facebook saying they were processing my request.

Question:

How do they know what my phone number is when I've never put my phone number on the internet?

 

I never requested anything from facebook, so why are they processing something?

 

Has someone sold my phone number to facebook, and why would they?

 

My phone is not a "smart phone" and I do not use it for the internet.

[NanLaew]

But you do use FB so there you go, sorted.

[sanemax]

Could be a fake E-mail , not from FB

[richard_smith237]

'Pishing'... look it up... 

 

Its easy to spoof an email so that it appears official... never log in to anything directly from a link received in email or social medial. 

[thaibeachlovers]

44 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

But you do use FB so there you go, sorted.

I don't "use" facebook. I stupidly went on it years ago, and sometimes look at people's photos, but I haven't posted on it for years. I certainly didn't request anything, so what request would they be processing? They don't say.

[thaibeachlovers]

45 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Could be a fake E-mail , not from FB

It wasn't an e mail. If you read the OP you'd know that it was a message on my NON smart phone that can't go on the internet.

If it was a fake, for what purpose?

[thaibeachlovers]

44 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

'Pishing'... look it up... 

 

Its easy to spoof an email so that it appears official... never log in to anything directly from a link received in email or social medial. 

Again, I specifically pointed out that it WASN'T on anything I had to log into. It wasn't even on the internet.

[Rc2702]

What kind of message was it and what did it say exactly?

 

I do not use FB much myself but processing sounds strange. Maybe a verification message comes from FB but a processing message sounds very odd.

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Has someone sold my phone number to facebook, and why would they?

What I see on a regular basis: automatically created FB sites with some sparse information (about businesses typically) obviously searched/gathered from the internet.

There you are offered to add information like phone numbers, address/map coordinates, opening hours or the like.

I you search the net you will see that messages from FB to the phone are a known pest.

?Is it possible that someone just mistyped his number for yours?

I don't know too much about FB. I avoid it as the plague and only have some fake data account there.

Edited June 5, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[Rarebear]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

What I see on a regular basis: automatically created FB sites with some sparse information (about businesses typically) obviously searched/gathered from the internet.

There you are offered to add information like phone numbers, address/map coordinates, opening hours or the like.

I you search the net you will see that messages from FB to the phone are a known pest.

?Is it possible that someone just mistyped his number for yours?

I don't know too much about FB. I avoid it as the plague and only have some fake data account there.

There is Facebook and Facebook lite and Messenger.  You don't have to use them all or all at the same time.  Many people only use Messenger and not Facebook.  Messenger is handy on a phone because you can make and receive calls without having a sim card. I have a number of phones in my home that ring when I have a Messenger call in different locations with no sim.  If you don't want to be bothered one only has to turn off notifications.  I have periods of time when I sleep that I don't want anyone but my family bothering me so only they can get through.  2.2 billion Facebook users I guess a few folks like it. 

[Rarebear]

To the OP.  Facebook is used to sign in to a lot of sites.  I sign into porn sites with my facebook account maybe that is has something to do with your message from them.  When they message me it is all caps FACEBOOK.  Not meaning that you would sign into a porn site just meant to illustrate that they are used to sign into many sites. Could be a doctor too.  Mine sends me xrays and tests on Messenger or Line I can't remember which one he uses.  You know them Thai doctors - very high tech. 

Edited June 5, 2018 by Rarebear

[kekalot]

most likely simply by someone having your phone number in their Contacts and sharing it with Facebook to "find friends" they get your name, phone number and other information

[NanLaew]

On 6/5/2018 at 11:14 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't "use" facebook. I stupidly went on it years ago, and sometimes look at people's photos, but I haven't posted on it for years. I certainly didn't request anything, so what request would they be processing? They don't say.

If you log into FB, you are using FB.

Edited June 6, 2018 by NanLaew

[NanLaew]

On 6/5/2018 at 11:17 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Again, I specifically pointed out that it WASN'T on anything I had to log into. It wasn't even on the internet.

Regardless if it wasn't an email, a message via another social media platform or in your case an SMS, it's still called 'phishing'.

[garzhe]

On 6/6/2018 at 12:15 PM, NanLaew said:

Regardless if it wasn't an email, a message via another social media platform or in your case an SMS, it's still called 'phishing'.

When you set up your facebook account you must have done it on the internet using a smart phone, a PC or laptop. You will have given facebook permission to access your data on the devise used to set up the account. 

[Cheops]

Do you use dtac? I got scammed 2 times by dtac. They told me I clicked some link after which they charged me 9 baht every day. I told them that it was total bs and that I will not pay. They were very quickly to say I don't need to pay. 

 

Watch your invoice and look under content. They send these by sms! If any costs show up at content call them immediately. 

 

Btw, if you didn't give your phone number to fb they don't have it. I gave mine, but I use fb for ads, so that's a different story. 

 

My bet is that your provider is trying to rip you off and trying to get you into a sms subscription. 

 

Edit: it was 9 baht per day. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Cheops

[korkenzieher]

Specific to the OP -

I'd go with the DTAC route too. SMS's cost money to external companies so they are rarely used except where you are by some extension, picking up the bill (such as with your bank). I have had fewer problems with this since I moved to AIS, so my gut feeling is that AIS abuse this less - but by no means zero.

 

More generally -

I don't allow FB to log in from my phone - it has none of my ID information available; I 'force stop' it and purge the memory; I block notification access at the app and 'droid level. FB does not seem yet to have divined my phone number (and my web-browser login still pesters me for it), but still I manage to find my phone contact list on my web-browser login. I find I have to strip its rights several times a week, and especially after a new version download, because they keep getting switched back on (which means the app has higher rights than you do). The FB app is pretty serious about data-mining your phone - I would say to a degree which should concern everyone, not just the security conscious. I don't feel I should have to root the phone to remove this POS, but it is looking that way.

 

[snowgard]

They spy on you!!!

They know what you eat, what you drink, who are youre friends, where you was, who you <deleted>, ...

If you want real know what facebook know about you, check it out here:
 

• Go to Facebook.com/settings
• Tap "Download a copy of your Facebook data."
• Tap "Download Archive."

It might take a few minutes, but Facebook will alert you when your archive is ready.
When it is, click "Download Archive" again, and a zip file will download to your computer.
Browse through that archive by opening each file inside the folder.
Again, what you'll find is that this is an entire history of your life on Facebook.

[Jdietz]

And right after that, delete your account. Done.

 

Indeed the right answer has already been given. By default FB has access to *all your contact info* on your phone, so if anyone with FB has your number stored, it is automatically harvested, along with 2nd, 3rd, nth levels of connectivity between everyone involved.

 

[janclaes47]

Wow, I see about at least 15 replies with advice, from people who couldn't be bothered to read the OP.

[quandow]

Could be if you have a smart phone with GPS turned on, Big Brother has all the information needed to track you, categorize you, inundate you with all the advertising that makes money for them.

[Athens]

Stay off FB, they spy on everyone, no matter if you use FB or not . MS is selling your data and selling ads to companies who  just want to sell  products you do not want-----------------

 

[MW72]

On 6/5/2018 at 11:17 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Again, I specifically pointed out that it WASN'T on anything I had to log into. It wasn't even on the internet.

Probably someone phishing. I had this kind of txt message on my non smart phone in Dubai and I only had it a couple of months. The place I worked wouldn't allow any cameras on site so I got an old Nokia and I started getting these txts. I am sure if it was on a smart phone the txt would have contained a link to some dodgy site.

[manarak]

pretty much sounds like some intelligence services are trying to map new, unknown phone numbers to existing ones / facebook accounts.

 

there has been a huge effort in the recent years to do this, virtually every internet service asks you to add a phone number for "safety".

[Media1]

On 6/5/2018 at 10:29 AM, sanemax said:

Could be a fake E-mail , not from FB

Yes they dont do that lol

[Saenchai]

There are a few possibilities. Since youve said you dont use that mobile for internet we have to believe that. Otherwise the most easy step to give facebook the mobile number is by creating an account over the mobile. Many mobiles have Facebook preinstalled, like Samsung S8 etc. If you create an account over this or log into one at some point there will be a permission-reqest from the app where it asks if you want to give permission to read contacts etc. 

Then there is the possibility, as others stated already, that it was simply spam/phishing. Maybe have a look on the message, if theres a link (that link may be hidden behind a few numbers but if you click it it directs you somewhere)) in it that you can click then it may lead to a phishing site, trojan hosting page or other stuff. They want that you login on that page so they have your account. Etcetc. Can be many things behind this, social engineering too  etc (not saying this is happening in your case)

Then its also likely that you gave other companies your mobile number and in the privacy policy of them (if they even have one)  probably mentioned somewhere that they may hand out data to third parties. Some companies dont check too well what third parties are that who request data as long they pay for it. So a black-sheep, or a grey one at least may be one of those third parties.

 

But the one thing that most ppl dont know. YOU DONT have to be a facebook member to have a facebook account. There will be one for you anyway. Its called "shadow-profile". 

https://www.cnet.com/news/shadow-profiles-facebook-has-information-you-didnt-hand-over/

 

What also should be kept in  mind: you dont even have to brwose facebook once in your life to fill that shadow-profile of yours with data.
Every page that has a facebook-like plugin (you see them everywhere) for example automatically collects data. All this data is accumulated over time and will be added.

This facebook-like-button is only one example. And no, you dont have to press that button. You only have to browse the page that has this button included.

Edited June 7, 2018 by Saenchai

[Cheops]

8 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

Wow, I see about at least 15 replies with advice, from people who couldn't be bothered to read the OP.

And the point of your comment is what? 

[Cheops]

4 hours ago, manarak said:

pretty much sounds like some intelligence services are trying to map new, unknown phone numbers to existing ones / facebook accounts.

 

there has been a huge effort in the recent years to do this, virtually every internet service asks you to add a phone number for "safety".

 watched too many James Bond movies? 

[Rc2702]

I rarely use Facebook and I'm fairly certain I have no connected number but maybe Microsoft have some info and link it that way?

 

I have opened Facebook today for first time in two weeks.

 

I only have FB messenger on my phone.

 

Anyway a young girl maybe 21 sat next to me on a train from nong khai to khon kaen on Monday evening and the last person to visit my profile is this young lady. We did not speak I did not open FB in her presence or anything showing my name.

 

I cannot find it or know how to use it but there must be a whose near me application or something on FB.

[manarak]

10 hours ago, Cheops said:

 watched too many James Bond movies? 

nope - I'm just a programmer working on the internet.

you should watch the documentaries "Zero Days" and "Citizenfour"

also: