I thought my Dad's facebook account was hacked/cloned

[ktgrok]

If you are on facebook you've probably encountered someone having a clone account made, friending people they already know, etc. It happens. Well, the other day Facebook suggested a new "friend" for me. I saw it, and thought, um, Im already friends with my Dad, this must be a clone account. I was all ready to report it, when it hit me. 

Not a clone account. 

A cloned person. Almost anyway - it was my Dad's twin brother! I dont' think he was on facebook before, so I just wasn't expecting to see him there. I  always heard they were identical, but I have always assumed they must be fraternal twins, because Grandma had another set of twins that were obviously fraternal, and it seems crazy that she had an identical set AND a fraternal set, since those things have nothing to do with each other. But man...I have to admit...they sure do look alike. Given they are almost 70 yrs old, and time tends to make them look less alike, they still are VERY similar. Dad started wearing glasses recently,and he's smiling and my uncle isn't, but yeah. I showed the photo of my uncle to my kids and no one believed it wasn't Papa.  

[Terabith]

Wow!  They do look alike!

[Ann.without.an.e]

They do look alike. I'm surprised they still look so much alike at their age. 

When DD finally got a good, mature profile u/s pic of the girls it really hit me "wow, their profiles look just alike". I think we will all feel that even more when they are here. DD has bracelets made and plans to use toenail polish to put a large dot on their large toes (one girl pink, one purple). I'm praying for a small birthmark on someone's thigh or something 😂

I told her that she should start a fun little game with them early on where she sings "I am mommy, you are (and kiddo sings their name)". That way it is a familiar game and she doesn't have to ever look at her child and ask "who are you?" 🤣

[Kassia]

When our neighbor died, we went to visitation at the funeral home.  We didn't know he had an identical twin brother until we got there and it was unnerving to see our neighbor in the casket and someone who looked exactly like him standing near the casket.  Their names were Ronald and Donald.  

 

 

[kbutton]

30 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I told her that she should start a fun little game with them early on where she sings "I am mommy, you are (and kiddo sings their name)". That way it is a familiar game and she doesn't have to ever look at her child and ask "who are you?" 🤣

That's a really good idea!

 

Look alike siblings aren't always twins. I've known some identical twins that looked more different from each than siblings who just looked a great deal alike, though I suspect siblings end up looking less alike in older age than identical twins do. My dad and his brother (several years apart in age) have been hilariously mistaken for one another several times. Decades later though, they look less alike. 

11 minutes ago, Kassia said:

When our neighbor died, we went to visitation at the funeral home.  We didn't know he had an identical twin brother until we got there and it was unnerving to see our neighbor in the casket and someone who looked exactly like him standing near the casket.  Their names were Ronald and Donald.  

I experienced this with look alike siblings. IRL, they were different heights, and one was very petite; however, the one sister had been away for a while (and was enough younger that she'd changed a bit while away), and it was eerie seeing her at first. In this case, it was a closed casket funeral, so it felt almost like a bait and switch. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

16 minutes ago, kbutton said:

 

 

I've known some identical twins that looked more different from each than siblings who just looked a great deal alike

I wonder if they were really identical? I knew a set of twins that were told they were identical but later find out they were fraternal. Then it made sense they they didn't look that much alike lol. Fraternal twins are no different than siblings and identical twins are genetically identical for the most part. Also a set of twins my dd's age didn't know if they were fraternal or identical. They looked a lot alike but didn't share a placenta and it was never super clear from ultrasounds. Only a DNA test can tell them for sure. 

[kbutton]

Just now, Ann.without.an.e said:

I wonder if they were really identical? I knew a set of twins that were told they were identical but later find out they were fraternal. Then it made sense they they didn't look that much alike lol. Fraternal twins are no different than siblings and identical twins are genetically identical for the most part. Also a set of twins my dd's age didn't know if they were fraternal or identical. They looked a lot alike but didn't share a placenta and it was never super clear from ultrasounds. Only a DNA test can tell them for sure. 

This is before people really did DNA stuff. They were slightly different sizes though, which I assume is within the realm of possible for identical twins. It was both height and general build--one was more petite. Another pair of sisters, one had a rounder face.

My high school/town had a remarkable number of identical twins for it's size (two sets in my grade in a class of 120ish, IIRC). A number of twins were people who moved there vs. being born there, and it always made me think maybe we had a homing beacon or something. Most were difficult to tell apart, but it wasn't unusual for them to do something to make it easier, like wearing hair differently.

[ktgrok]

33 minutes ago, kbutton said:

That's a really good idea!

 

Look alike siblings aren't always twins. I've known some identical twins that looked more different from each than siblings who just looked a great deal alike, though I suspect siblings end up looking less alike in older age than identical twins do. My dad and his brother (several years apart in age) have been hilariously mistaken for one another several times. Decades later though, they look less alike. 

 

In photos from when my Dad and his twin were young they are indistinguishable. 

13 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I wonder if they were really identical? I knew a set of twins that were told they were identical but later find out they were fraternal. Then it made sense they they didn't look that much alike lol. Fraternal twins are no different than siblings and identical twins are genetically identical for the most part. Also a set of twins my dd's age didn't know if they were fraternal or identical. They looked a lot alike but didn't share a placenta and it was never super clear from ultrasounds. Only a DNA test can tell them for sure. 

Yeah, the doctors told my Grandma her first set (my dad and his twin) were identical, but that was almost 70 years ago. And I know that fraternal twins can have their placentas fuse together sometimes, to look like a single placenta, which would make them look like identical twins. And I mean, they do look exactly alike, my dad and his twin, or they did when young. 

On the other hand, none of the other brothers look much like each other. The only two that look that close are my dad and his twin. So maybe? But I'm still in the camp that having both identical and fraternal twins is unlikely at best. 

[ktgrok]

Oh, and my Dad is NOT interested in doing a DNA test, and I doubt his twin woudl either. Especially after a new cousin showed up when I did 23 and Me....

[Katy]

That’s funny. I went to school with two sets of fraternal twins who looked identical. I’ve always wondered if they just split really early but were identical. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

19 minutes ago, kbutton said:

This is before people really did DNA stuff. They were slightly different sizes though, which I assume is within the realm of possible for identical twins. It was both height and general build--one was more petite. Another pair of sisters, one had a rounder face.

My high school/town had a remarkable number of identical twins for it's size (two sets in my grade in a class of 120ish, IIRC). A number of twins were people who moved there vs. being born there, and it always made me think maybe we had a homing beacon or something. Most were difficult to tell apart, but it wasn't unusual for them to do something to make it easier, like wearing hair differently.

Oh yes, size can vary and of course you can do things to change the appearance. Some twins have a huge imbalance in the womb with nutrients and blood supply and the smaller twin stays smaller their whole life. DDs girls have been within 2 ounces of each other the entire pregnancy with estimated weight so I'll be surprised to see them have a measurable size difference. Their heart rate has always been within a few beats too. I have a feeling these little ones are going to be quite identical lol. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

2 minutes ago, Katy said:

That’s funny. I went to school with two sets of fraternal twins who looked identical. I’ve always wondered if they just split really early but were identical. 

It can happen, especially in the past since they weren't as good at distinguishing. 30% of identical twins have separate placentas just like fraternal. I bet they are actually identical and didn't know it. 

[Kassia]

13 minutes ago, Katy said:

That’s funny. I went to school with two sets of fraternal twins who looked identical.

I had a friend with twin boys like that.  I know she thought of having them tested but I don't remember if she actually did.  They looked identical and had very similar personalities and interests.

[ktgrok]

44 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

It can happen, especially in the past since they weren't as good at distinguishing. 30% of identical twins have separate placentas just like fraternal. I bet they are actually identical and didn't know it. 

So before DNA, they mostly just were guessing, it sounds like, if identical can have separate placentas and fraternal can have fused placentas.

[Ann.without.an.e]

8 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

So before DNA, they mostly just were guessing, it sounds like, if identical can have separate placentas and fraternal can have fused placentas.

Exactly. For a long time one placenta = identical twins and separate placentas = fraternal but they later realized that wasn’t always true. 30% of identicals can have their own placenta and like 8% of fraternal twins can have a fuse where it appears to be one placenta. So I imagine that there were a a good bit of mix ups in the past. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Exactly. For a long time one placenta = identical twins and separate placentas = fraternal but they later realized that wasn’t always true. 30% of identicals can have their own placenta and like 8% of fraternal twins can have a fuse where it appears to be one placenta. So I imagine that there were a a good bit of mix ups in the past. 

I'm betting that was what happened - because I think the odds of having both fraternal and identical twins 3 years apart is way lower than the odds of your fraternal twins having a fused placenta. 

[historically accurate]

2 hours ago, Kassia said:

When our neighbor died, we went to visitation at the funeral home.  We didn't know he had an identical twin brother until we got there and it was unnerving to see our neighbor in the casket and someone who looked exactly like him standing near the casket.  Their names were Ronald and Donald.  

 

 

My grandfather was a twin - my grandfather was Donald. Ronald died at 8 days, and the parents liked the name Ronald better, so they switched the names. So, my grandfather became Ronald. You could do that back then since he was born on the ranch without a doctor present. 

[Kassia]

6 minutes ago, historically accurate said:

My grandfather was a twin - my grandfather was Donald. Ronald died at 8 days, and the parents liked the name Ronald better, so they switched the names. So, my grandfather became Ronald. You could do that back then since he was born on the ranch without a doctor present. 

wow, that is...weird?

[historically accurate]

14 minutes ago, Kassia said:

wow, that is...weird?

Yeah, it's just one of those quirky family things that popped into my head when I read the twins Ronald and Donald. 

[busymama7]

21 minutes ago, historically accurate said:

Yeah, it's just one of those quirky family things that popped into my head when I read the twins Ronald and Donald. 

I knew someone who's aunt and uncle were twins born 1920s or so as I recall at home.  They hadn't had their birth certificates but the female needed one at some point way later in life like age 50-60.  The state could not find them at all.   Finally they said that there was another set of boy girl twins with that birth date and other information that matched but with different first names.   She went to her mom/dad who said "oh yeah I think we were going to name you that and probably never told the Dr otherwise"   they went most of their lives by other names than was on their birth certificate. 

 

 

[vonfirmath]

5 hours ago, Kassia said:

wow, that is...weird?

Not so much. There are several cases in older families where a child dies and a later child is given the same name

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, vonfirmath said:

Not so much. There are several cases in older families where a child dies and a later child is given the same name

Yes, but in this case they actually changed the living child's name to the deceased child's name.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

7 hours ago, Kassia said:

Yes, but in this case they actually changed the living child's name to the deceased child's name.  

I think it is odd too

[stephanier.1765]

20 hours ago, Katy said:

That’s funny. I went to school with two sets of fraternal twins who looked identical. I’ve always wondered if they just split really early but were identical. 

My cousins are fraternal but look identical. It's a strange phenomenon.

[Jimmynitron]

Wow, that's such a crazy coincidence! Such things don't happen every day when you meet a "cloned person" on Facebook, especially when it's your family member. It's amazing how similar identical twins can look, even as they get older. I can imagine how surprised you were to see your uncle's profile suggested to you as a new friend. Now you have something to laugh about. My acc was once cloned, so I had to buy usa phone verified facebook accounts to become as popular as I was at once.

Edited February 23, 2023 by Jimmynitron