Are there any other residents of California who would be interested in joining a collective effort to approach the California Attorney General about urging META to address the numerous unresolved issues related to hacked, impersonated, and fraudulent acco

As the son of an attorney, I have a basic understanding of how to approach this issue, and I work in state politics (though not directly related to the Attorney General’s office). I’ve drafted my letter to address the current situation while also referencing the previous lawsuit. I welcome any feedback on the draft below: Dear Attorney General Bonta,I am writing to request your office’s urgent intervention regarding a hacked Facebook account that has resulted in ongoing impersonation and potential liability, in light of the ongoing coalition lawsuit against Meta.Despite being Meta Verified, my Facebook account was hacked on [October 21, 2023], and I have been unable to regain access. The hacker has locked me out and is using the account to impersonate me, creating significant personal and professional risks.**Background:**My Facebook account, which has been active for over 13 years, was compromised even with Two-Factor Authentication enabled. The hacker changed the associated email and phone number, effectively locking me out. Since then, the account has been used to contact individuals in my network, raising concerns about potential fraudulent activities under my name.**Efforts to Resolve:**I have made multiple attempts to regain access through Meta’s support channels, including identity verification and leveraging my Meta Verified status. Unfortunately, Meta’s automated support systems have not provided effective assistance, leaving me vulnerable to continued impersonation.**Current Concerns:**The ongoing impersonation not only jeopardizes my reputation but also exposes me to potential legal liabilities for actions taken by the hacker. Friends and acquaintances have reported suspicious activities originating from my hacked account, which heightens my concerns about the potential harm being done in my name.**Relevance of Recent Developments:**I am aware of the recent actions taken by a coalition of 41 Attorneys General, including your office, urging Meta to address the significant rise in account takeovers and improve their support systems. The letter from the Attorneys General criticizes Meta’s reliance on inadequate automated systems and highlights the emotional and financial damage caused by these incidents. My case exemplifies the systemic issues outlined in this lawsuit, emphasizing the need for immediate and effective action.**Request for Assistance:**Given the severity of my situation and its alignment with the broader issues identified in the coalition’s lawsuit, I urgently request your assistance in the following ways:

  1. Facilitating the recovery of my Facebook account, or if recovery is not feasible,
  2. Ensuring the permanent deletion of the compromised account to prevent further misuse.
  3. Providing guidance on potential legal actions I may need to take to protect myself from liability and further harm.

I have documented all my communications with Meta regarding the ongoing impersonation and can provide this evidence upon request. This situation has caused me significant distress, and I fear it could lead to even more severe consequences if not addressed promptly.Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.Sincerely,-- Me

3 Likes

I understand your interest in this issue, even though you reside in a different state. The approach being considered by the California Attorney General is not a petition or class action lawsuit, but rather a direct letter to Meta demanding action.
As you noted, a bipartisan coalition of 41 state Attorneys General, including California’s Rob Bonta, have already sent a joint letter to Meta’s leadership. This letter calls on the company to thoroughly review its data security practices and take concrete steps to better protect users from account takeovers by scammers.
The coalition letter outlines several key requests, including:
Increasing staffing to respond to account takeover complaints
Greater investment in account takeover mitigation tactics
Adopting new user protection procedures, such as multi-step authentication
Taking stronger enforcement actions against scammers
While you reside outside of California, you could potentially reach out to your own state Attorney General’s office to express your concerns and see if they would be willing to join the coalition’s efforts. The more states that unite behind this cause, the stronger the message to Meta.
Ultimately, the goal is to compel Meta to take the account takeover crisis seriously and dedicate more resources to safeguarding user accounts. The coalition approach leverages the collective power of state Attorneys General to demand accountability from the tech giant.
I hope this provides some helpful context on the strategy being pursued. Let me know if you have any other questions!

4 Likes

I appreciate you sharing that information, even though I was already aware. I understand that their inboxes are probably overflowing with requests for help, but it’s truly the only idea I have left at this point.

2 Likes

I’m also in a different state (Arizona) and have contacted our Attorney General’s office three times, but they’ve only responded that they can’t assist. I’m open to trying anything.

1 Like

I’m located in a different state, but I’m open to assisting however I can.