MILWAUKEE — There is frustration about a mysterious Facebook hack that seems to be growing larger. Some users are discovering their accounts have been hijacked and they're locked out with no way to get back in.
It's become known as the "Lily Collins Hack". People are finding themselves locked out of their Facebook accounts after their names and profile photos have all been changed to Lily Collins, the actress.
And in some cases, it goes a step further. Hackers have been able to access bank accounts through seized Facebook profiles.
Some Facebook users believe the hackers got access when they clicked a link that looked like an ad for a ChatGPT program, but it was a virus.
Others, like entertainment critic Ryan Jay have no idea how their accounts were compromised.
"My name had been changed, my phone number had been deleted on Facebook," he said, recalling the moment he realized he was a victim of the hack.
Ryan Jay has now gained back control of his Facebook account, but not before several hundred dollars disappeared.
"It was about five days after my account was hacked and disabled that suddenly I noticed a charge on my bank statement for almost $300 to Meta for Facebook ads," he recalled.
He's still waiting for communication about a reimbursement. For over a week, he's been trying to contact anyone at Meta. He says after more than two dozen emails the only replies he's gotten appear to be automated responses.
"I'm just shocked that a company the size of Facebook, one of the largest companies in the world, a billion-dollar company, a leader in the social media space — has absolutely zero accountability for their product and for their lack of responsiveness to their members," he added.
Some victims of the Lily Collins Hack have lost access to years of contacts, photos, or precious memories. Others, like content creators or business owners, are losing income the longer they're locked out. Around 1,500 people have, ironically, joined a Facebook group to share their frustration. It's full of people who've been forced to create new accounts, unsure if Facebook will fix the situation.
"Does social media need some legislation?" questioned Ryan Jay. "I just don't know who else is going to hold these companies accountable unless we just all boycott and leave Facebook but that's unrealistic."
In the meantime, he's urging others to be wary about online security. Be careful what you click — and he suggests changing your passwords to the highest possible strength and using 2FA (two-factor authentication) when you can.
TMJ4 News has reached out to Facebook but has not received a response. To date, Facebook has not commented publicly on the Lily Collins Hack.
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