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SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
Facebook Verified?
Not What It Used To Be!
Facebook Verified Profiles, Pages, Groups?
What does this even mean?
Facebook provides various ways the profile and page owners can be verified for the confidence of Facebook visitors. Unfortunately, some are rock solid and others types of verifications have serious flaws.
The first thing to always remember about Facebook is that it is run by human beings, and many are poorly trained in how to recognize certain scams and scammers. So always be cautious online no matter if someone is verified or not!
UPDATE 2021
Facebook no longer verifies most pages or profiles. They now only do this for governmental, celebrity, and high-profile accounts. The rest of the world is out of luck!
Facebook Profile Verification
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What is a verified profile?
Some profiles have been verified by Facebook to let people know that they’re authentic:
If you see a blue checkmark badge on a profile, it means that Facebook confirmed that this is the authentic profile for this public figure. Keep in mind that not all public figures, celebrities, and brands on Facebook have blue badges. Facebook decides in their own weird way who gets the badge even if they are verified.
The blue verification checkmark badge lets people know that a profile of public interest is authentic. Not the “Public Interest” that means you have to be a movie star to get one!
Facebook applies the blue verification badge to eligible public figures (not normal or even business people unless you are a rock star!). Eligibility for the blue verification badge is based on a variety of factors, such as account completeness, policy compliance, and public interest, also Facebooks own dictatorial voodoo selection system.
If an account doesn’t have a blue verification badge, it does not mean that it isn’t verified, it just means that in Facebook’s view it wasn’t worth the effort to flip on a simple switch to show the badge. Over 95% of verified profiles DO NOT SHOW the blue checkmark trust badge.
According to Facebook, there are other ways to help let people know that a profile authentic. But as well know only too well, that is a cop-out since few people know enough about Facebook Profile Forensics to properly identify fakes with 100% accuracy.
To request a blue verification badge from Facebook, a profile must comply with Facebook’s terms of service and have the following:
- A cover photo
- A profile photo
- A name that follows Facebook’s guidelines
- Content posted to the account
- “Follow” enabled (profiles only) – this is the disqualifier for anyone that has any sense. Followers are dangerous and allow scammers and cybercriminals to track your activities.
So the result is that if someone has “followers” turn off (as is recommended for safety) they cannot get the checkmark.
Every one of our own officers has been verified for years, but Facebook hasn’t yet added their blue marks!
When Is It A Fake Verification?
Many scammers add a blue checkmark to their main profile image to fool you. It is ONLY a confirmed verification if the blue checkmark appears next to the profile name.
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Verified Pages
If you see a gray checkmark badge on a Page, it means that Facebook confirmed that this is an authentic Page for this business or organization.
However, vast numbers of truly verified pages do not have the mark anymore. So the checkmark is only useful with government and celebrity pages!
The gray checkmark verification badge lets people know that a Page for a business or organization is authentic. Except it doesn’t – it only lets someone know they have a utility bill in that name.
Facebook says that to be verified a page must be:
- Be published
- Have a profile picture and cover photo
- Have posts
To verify a Page: It must have a publicly listed phone number for the business, country and, language. That means the business must have a publicly listed phone number, and in today’s world not all businesses do – a huge number of businesses use the cell phones of their officers (for example).
Keep in mind that Facebook does not always display the checkmark even if they have verified the business. Facebook appears to have a gigantic backlog of pages that have been verified but do not yet have the badge displayed. Additionally, if a business has many different pages, FB will only verify ONE page. The result is a breakdown of the Facebook trust system.
Verified Groups
Facebook appears to have no verification process for groups at this time. However, groups can be linked to pages, so at least you know that a group is owned by the owners of a specific page.
Verified Websites
This appears to have gone away!
If Verified?
Great, everything is happy in the universe. A Blue or Grey checkmark tells you they have been verified and authentic. Unfortunately, the absence of a checkmark does not mean they have not been verified, it only means it is not displayed.
For example, if a business changes its phone number in the information on a Page it will lose its trust mark. If the company uses a “brand” for their page, and the legal company name if different, then the page does not qualify for a trust mark (without the involvement of lawyers).
Summary
In short, the Facebook verification process is seriously flawed and in most cases broken, but when they display the marks you can reasonably trust them. Just do not automatically assume a profile or page without a mark is not trustworthy.
The Simple Rule Of Thumb?
Trust No One!
TAGS: SCARS, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Online Fraud, Online Crime Is Real Crime, Scam Avoidance, Married Scam Victims, Internet Infidelity, Scam Victim Divorce
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By the SCARS™ Editorial Team
Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
To Learn More, Volunteer, or Donate Visit: www.AgainstScams.org
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
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FACEBOOK: MA COSA VERIFICA SE HO NOTATO CHE LA STESSA PERSONA CON SUE FOTO HA DECINE DI ACCOUNT, OPPURE PERSONE CON FOTO DI ALTRE PERSONE APRONO ACCOUNT DECINE DI ACCOUNT, E NON SI CAPISCE COME SI POSSA NON VEDERE CHE QUELLA PERSONA E’ UNA FASULLA RISPETTO AL NOME E ALLE FOTO, NON SI CHIEDE MICA UN DOCUMENTO DI RICONOSCIMENTO, PER POTER ACCERTARE CHE CHI STA APRENDO L’ACCOUNT, SIA EFFETTIVAMENTE CORRISPONDENTE AL SUO VERO NOME E ALLA FOTO. POI NON SI POSSONO APRIRNE DECINE PER CONFONDERE LE IDEE DEL VISITATORE, IO IN EFFETTI CHE CONOSCO BEN QUATTRO DONNE, HANNO NOMI DIVERSI PER OGNI OGNI ACCOUNT APERTO, DA POTER ANCHE ESSERE TRUFFATO INFATTI UNO DI QUESTO ACCOUNT HA 2 FOTO DI UNA DONNA CHE CONOSCO MA IL NOME E’ FASULLO, PER CUI IO NON SO CON CHI STO CHATTANDO IN QUESTO SOGGETTO NON MI DICE LA SUA RESIDENZA, CHE IO CONOSCO ESATTAMENTE, E PRESUMO CHI CI SIA DIETRO. INTANTO OLTRE AD AVER APERTO L’ACCOUNT DI ALTRA PERSONA MI FORNISCE ALTRE FOTO DI QUESTA VERA PERSONA DELLE FOTO. POI NON COMPRENDO GLI ACCOUNT SENZA UNA FOTO, FOTO DI ESSEREI DI SICURO MINORENNI IN ITALIA, DISEGNI DI SESSO SPINTO, MOLTO PORNOGRAFICI, CHE POSSONO ESSERE VISTI BENE DAI MINORENNI, DONNE VESTITE, O MEGLIO SVESTITE IN MODO ALTAMENTE SUCCINTO, DA ATTIRARE SUBITO LA CURIOSITA’ DELL’UOMO E QUINDI POSSIBILI TRANELLI, EMAIL DI SITI PORNOGRAFICI, DOVE ADDIRITTURA LA PARTE DICE: MIA SORELLA PICCOLA VUOLE ESSERE SCOPATA DA TE, PERCIO’ MI SI DICE CHE E’ VERIFICATO, FORSE UNO SU 100.000 E BASTA.