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How many times have you gotten that message from your Facebook friends, or possibly sent it to a friend after getting a new “Friend Request” or a weird message from them?
There are usually three different situations in which a person might think that they, or their friend was “hacked” on facebook.
How to fix it?
The best steps to take in this situation are to go to your Apps section in your Facebook account and REMOVE access to anything you do not absolutely trust. You can also go to the Security section of your account and choose to LOG OUT any devices you do not recognize. If you DO see devices logged in that you do not recognize, usually with strange locations, you can choose to log them all out of your account. In that situation, it’s a good idea to go ahead and change your password too.
How to prevent it?
Do not click on suspicious links, or open unexpected email links. Also, make sure you have good protection on your computer and your internet browsers. The protection may not help in some cases, because users are normally able to bypass the protection, but it’s another layer of protection and a good step to take in general. If there are other people in your household who use your device, be sure that you actually log out of Facebook when you are not actively using it.
You try to use your facebook account and you realize that you’re locked out of it.
What is it?
Although relatively rare, this can be caused by clicking on a malicious link. It can be caused by a successful phishing attempt – where you’ve been tricked into giving a hacker your facebook login information. It can be caused by “keyloggers” or other malicious threats that have invaded your device and stolen your information. It can be caused by someone using your device and changing your information if you forgot to log out of your Facebook account.
Why do they do it?
Many reasons. If it’s someone you know who gained access to your account and changed your information without your permission, it’s usually done for spite. When actual hackers take over a Facebook account, they often do it to try and blackmail the owner into paying them to regain access. In the case of a celebrity or business, it could be blackmail, or it could be trying to ruin the celebrity or business, or just embarrass them.
How to fix it?
You can usually get help from Facebook Support to regain access to your hacked account. Usually. It can be difficult to reach Facebook Support, it can take a long time for them to respond if you DO manage to reach them and they can ask you to jump through hoops which you’re unable to jump through – such as access to a security phone number you no longer have. There are also more basic account recovery steps which can get your account back more quickly, if you’re proactive in protecting your account.
How to prevent it?
Again, it’s always important to have GOOD protection on your devices. We sell a comprehensive protection and monitoring package that includes real-time, personal assistance if you see things that are concerning. This will prevent most malicious software from stealing your information. Be very careful about what you click on. If you’re not sure whether a link, or attachment is legit or not, reach out to the person who sent it to you. Ask them questions that only they would know the answer to, such as where you met them. Set up 2FA (Two-Factor Security) on your social media and email accounts. You can also set up a special code generator for an extra layer of protection. Additionally, once again, make sure you log out of your accounts when you’re not using them, if there are other people who use your devices.
Computer Chick offers remote assistance to help you do all of the things mentioned in this article. If you need help, schedule an appointment and we will happily assist you!
Stay safe out there!
– Computer Chick
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