Facebook is one of the biggest social media platforms across the globe. The platform has over a billion users around the world and naturally, it becomes the target for many scammers, hackers, and more. There are several different ways hackers can access a Facebook account. It might be through a phishing scam or they might get access to your sensitive personal information. If you’re unlucky enough to have your Facebook account hacked, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we will tell you how to report and recover your hacked Facebook account along with some important tips and tricks that will help you secure your account.
Also Read: How to Lock Facebook Profile on Your Android or iOS App and Website
There are different ways to tell whether your FB account is hacked or compromised. First of all, you will need to check whether there is unauthorised access to your Facebook account. In order to do that, do the following:
Also Read: How to Delete Your Facebook Account, Page and Group in Easy Steps?
That being said, there can also be other factors which suggest that your Facebook account is hacked or compromised. These might include:
Facebook allows you to report and recover your account if it is hacked or misused. Here’s what you need to do:
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That being said, if the email address associated with your Facebook account is changed, you will still need to recover it.
When there is a change in the email address, Facebook sends a message to your old email ID with a special link. You can click that link to reverse the email address change and secure your account.
There are times when you see a Facebook profile that pretends to be you by using your photo and name. If you or a friend spot such an account, here’s what you need to do:
Also Read: Facebook Account Delete: How to Delete Facebook Account Permanently
Whether you’ve been the victim of a hack or not, it is vital to make sure that you secure your Facebook account.
There are some tips and tricks through which you can do it. Here’s what you need to do:
Facebook has introduced a two-factor authentication feature that helps you to protect your Facebook account. The feature allows you to enter a special login code to confirm your login attempt each time you access your Facebook account from a mobile device or a browser. In order to activate this feature, do this:
Facebook also allows users to set alerts about unrecognised logins from their account. This security feature basically alerts you when someone tries to log in from a new device or web browser. The alerts give you information about the location from which the login attempt was made.
Here’s how you can enable it:
If you’re using someone else’s laptop or your office laptop or PC, always make sure to logout from your Facebook account to prevent someone else accessing it.
It is important to use a strong password for your Facebook account. One should create a password that is easy to remember but difficult to guess for others. Avoid using your email address, phone number, date of birth or more for creating a password. It is always advisable to use a combination of letters, numbers and special characters to create a strong password.
Alternatively, use Google Chrome or Safari’s strong password suggest tool, which will create a password out of random characters, and save it to your Google or iCloud account for easy access.
This is one of the most important tips of all time: never ever share your login details with anyone. This is especially the case when you are online. Scammers may create fake websites that look similar to Facebook and then they will tell you to log in with your email and password. Always make sure that you are using the right website. If you have any doubts, simply type www.facebook.com into your browser to access Facebook.
It is important to keep an eye out for malicious software on your system.
Always make sure to scan your computer for viruses, malware, and more and remove it on time so that your sensitive information remains safe.
Facebook also allows you to secure your account by diagnosing it through its Security Checkup feature. The feature basically tells you whether your password is strong enough, whether you have turned on two-factor authentication, and how you can get notifications if you login with your Facebook account. Here’s how you can use the Facebook Security Checkup feature to protect your FB account.
You should know if your Facebook account has been hacked by someone or if there is a change of email address or password. Moreover, your name or birthday has been changed. There are friend requests sent from your profile to unknown people. Messages have been sent that you didn’t write. Moreover, there are some posts that may have been posted from your profile without your knowledge.
By Chuck Malenfant
If your Facebook account is hacked, the password may be changed and you may be unable to log in.
Clients who have friended you may see links to advertisements or even viruses posted on their walls and receive spam email, all allegedly from you. Pages you've put up to promote your products or services may be vandalized. Facebook has a process in place so you can report if your account has been compromised and address the problem.
Navigate to Facebook's Report Compromised Account page (link in Resources). You don't have to be logged in.
Click "My Account Is Compromised." This takes you to the Find My Account page.
Enter your email address, Facebook username or phone number in the text box provided and click "Search." Alternately, click the "Can't Remember?" link for additional prompts to your identity if you need them.
Enter the current or any former passwords you have used on Facebook underneath your name and Facebook thumbnail image on the following page and click "Continue."
If you don't see your name or don't recognize the thumbnail image, return to the previous page and try entering a different piece of information.
For example, if you entered your email address the first time and it didn't bring up your name and thumbnail image, try entering your phone number instead.
Click "Continue" on the Secure Your Account page. If you aren't taken to this page, try entering a different password.
Create a new password, confirm it in the text boxes provided and click "Continue."
Click the "Change Password" link next to the email address Facebook lists as being associated with your account. This opens your email login page in a new browser tab. Change this email password since a hacker who knows your email address and password can access your Facebook account. Return to the Facebook tab when you have successfully changed your email password and click "Continue."
Click the check boxes on the Account Unlocked page to increase your security by only accessing Facebook through a secure browser connection and by receiving an email notification whenever your account is accessed from a device you haven't used before.
Click "Log In" to complete the process.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Chuck Malenfant has been working in high-tech educational environments since 1994, serving as a teacher, trainer, writer, research librarian and administrator. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Arizona State University, as well as a Master of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University. Malenfant serves as a computer literacy trainer at Broward County Library.
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