Facebook is a wealth of information, and for hackers it’s like hitting the jackpot. With over 1.5 million users logging in, Facebook is a prime site to hack into to get peoples personal information, to spam their friends, or just ruin their account. With a long list of sites willing to hack into a Facebook account for the right price, it’s better to be safe and take precautions against allowing it to happen. With tons of ways for someone to hack into your account, it’s better to check and be sure then to be blindsided when someone does.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you have your account information on hand. It’s always a good idea to write down your account security details in case this happens, and to keep that information in a secure location. If you ever see something fishy or suddenly get locked out of your account, chances are you have been hacked. Mostly, if Facebook notices something fishy like someone logging in from an area far away from your normal location, or activity that is abnormal, they will send a notification to your email letting you know, Should this happen, here is what you want to do.
Steps to take to check if you have been hacked
Check for Suspicious Activities
Chances are, if your account has been hacked, it was hacked with a goal in mind. Sometimes hackers use accounts to spam your friends with malware links and advertisements that lead to viruses or the person’s Facebook being hacked as well. If you suddenly find post or links you didn’t post, there is a good chance you’ve been hacked.
To see the recent activities on your account, log into your account and go to the far upper right hand corner. Click the downward arrow to open up the drop down menu. Find “Activity Log” and it will show you all the recent activity on your account. If you find anything you don’t remember posting, chances are you have been hacked. If that’s happened, immediately change your password. Then you can go back into Activity Log and delete anything you didn’t post, and let your friends know it wasn’t you. Below you’ll find how to change your password.
Look At Login Sessions
Facebook logs which device or computer logs into your account at any given time. You can go through this list to figure out if someone other then you has logged into your account. From the same drop down menu as before, go to Settings. From there you want to find Security. You’ll find a long list of security features; the one you want to change is Where You’re Logged In. Here is where you’ll find the long list of places, times and locations you’ve logged in at. If you find any that don’t look like they were you, immediately click the End Activity link on the right corner, and change your password quickly after.
How to Save Your Account
If you find you are locked out of your account, then you want to get it back as soon as possible. Here is how to change your password and get back control of your account from the hackers. You want to do this as soon as possible to keep the hackers from possibly hacking your friends and family, or to keep them from destroying your account.
Change your password
If you have been locked out of your account, you will have to go to the log in screen and press the link below the log in that says “Forgotten Account”. Once you hit this link, Facebook will ask you to help them find your account. You can use a wealth of information about yourself to find your account. From your email, your full name, your home phone number or cell phone number. Once you’ve found your account, Facebook will give you multiple options on how to get the password reset. You can choose between having a security code sent to your phone, or a link sent in your email. Both of them will take you to the same page.
If you have had the misfortune to have your email hacked as well (which is very possible) and don’t have a phone for them to text, you can still have the account reset. On the list of options, go all the way to the grey box below the options and click on the link “No Longer Have Access To These” to have the password reset. Facebook will warn you to change your email password and provide links to the most popular email sites. It will recommend getting your email account back, as this is the best route to get into your account.
If you still can’t get your original email back, get a new one and give it a strong password. One that contains upper and lower case letters, numbers, and a symbol to keep someone from hacking you in the future. Make sure to write this down in case you need it again or get a password manager app to keep it safe. Once you have this new email, use it in the following steps to get your account back.
Facebook will ask for a Government issued ID or two forms of non-government issued ID with your full name, a face photo and your date of birth clearly visible. All this information must match the account you are trying to get back or it will not work. To show them these Ids you can take a picture or scan them into your device. Then upload them using the “Choose File” button provided. Once Facebook has these images and verifies your email, they can help you recover your account.
Get Thought The Security Check
Once you have control of your account back, you will want to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. It is highly recommended to go through Facebook’s Compromised Account feature. Go to this page and find the link that says, “My Account is Compromised”. Facebook will ask for your password, make sure to use the current one or you will have to go through the above stages a second time.
Once you have entered the current password, click on Continue and Facebook will take you through a 4 step process to make your account secure. It will log you out of all devices, and not allow you to use Facebook until your account is secure. The steps are simple, and as follows:
Change your password (again)
This is to keep your account secure while finishing the next three steps.
Check Your Apps and Their Permissions
While the hacker had your account, they could have used it to log into other sites. Here you can see if there are any apps you didn’t use and remove them. By doing this you stop them from getting any more of your personal information from your account. This also allows you to remove apps you no longer want to have access to your information, such as old games and quiz apps.
Remove Sketchy Recent Activities
This shows you everything that has been done with your account and allows you to remove unwanted post, activities and game invites. Its faster then trying to go through your main page, and can save you time later on.
Setup Login Alerts
As stated above, Login Alerts are a great way to make sure no one else is logging into your account without you knowing. Whenever someone attempts to log into your account from an unauthorized device or location, Facebook will email you or text you a warning.
After these fours steps, you should have complete control of your Facebook account back, and have the damage caused by the hackers under control. If you still think you maybe the target of hackers, there are more ways to secure your account and stop it from happening again in the future.
Stop It From Happening Again
Once you have your account back, you want to make sure you never have to do all these steps again! To insure that your account won’t be hacked again and will deter hackers from wanting to hack it, here are the four major steps to keeping your account secure in the future.
Add a Phone Number
Should you forget your password, having a phone number set up can help you get back to your account faster. From the previous drop down menu, go to Settings, then find “Mobil”. From there you want to find the green button that says “+Add a Phone” and click on it. You will have to rent your password, but after registering a phone number you can always use your phone in case you get locked out again.
Add Login Approval
If you really need to make sure your Facebook is locked down, you can use Login Approval to make sure your account is extra secure. With Login Approval, every time you log into Facebook, it will send a code to your phone, which you will have to enter as well, to log into your account. To add it to your account, from Settings, go to Security, then find Login Approvals and click on the edit link. Then check the box to the right of “Require A Security Code.” Once the prompt comes up, click on the blue box saying “Get Started” and check to make sure your phone number is correct.
It will do this with every new device you use to log into Facebook. This two-step process makes it extra hard for hackers to take over your account.
Make Sure Your Password is Secure
Always make sure to have a secure password. NEVER use your name, a pet name, your address, your family members names, your school or your hometown in your password, as these are easy to guess. The best way to make sure your password is secure is to use a combination of Upper and lowercase letters, at least two numbers spaced apart by letters, and a symbol. The best way to make sure your password is safe is to change it every six weeks to keep hackers from being able to guess it.
Change your Privacy Settings
The best way to keep your Facebook off of hacker’s radar is to keep it privet. Go into Settings from the drop down menu, then go to Privacy. Change the settings so only people on your friends list can see your post, pictures, and what apps you use. To keep anyone from tagging you in harmful post, go to settings, then Activity Log. Click on the cog next to Notifications. This will allow you to enable Timeline Review. Any time someone tags you in a post or picture, it will ask if you wish to be connected to the post. You can then decide if it’s ok, or stop people from tagging you.
To keep yourself from becoming a victim again, keep an eye out for the ways that hackers lure you into giving them your information. Here we have a list of the different types of scams and how to avoid them.
How hackers get into your account
Phishing
This is when hackers create a site that looks like the Login for Facebook in order to get their hands on your password. Sometimes they send emails linking to “Facebook” to sign in or ask for your information to confirm who you are. You should never login to any site that is not www.facebook.com. You will know it’s secure if you see the lock symbol next to the URL.
Keyloggers
If your computer gets hacked, or has a virus, you could end up with a keylogger. A keylogger keeps track of what you type, including all messages, user names, passwords and banking information. This is why it’s always good to do a virus scan at least weekly, and if you have a hard time remembering your passwords, using a password manager to enter your information for you.
Giving Your Password For A “Reward”
If a site or email tells you to “login” to get a reward with their site, they are a SCAM. Theyare just trying to get your information to hack into your account. Real reward sites will never ask for sensitive information.
Getting Back To Normal
Hopefully these steps can help you get back your account and return to your normal Facebook. So long as you remain calm, take your time, and answer the questions honestly, your account is never a total loss. If you continue to have problems, or know of a better way to keep your information secure, please leave a comment in the section below. We might be able to help you if you let us know the problem or point you in the right direction. Thanks again for reading!
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