Simple steps to Recover a Hacked Facebook Account in 2023!

Coming across a hacked Facebook account can be very upsetting. In the modern digital age, there has been a rapid increase in the number of data theft and hacking crimes. Losing access to your Facebook account in such a scenario can have dire consequences if you don’t know how to get it back.

Even Facebook, one of the largest social media platforms in the world, is not free of vulnerabilities through which some can hack your account. Major platforms like TikTok and Instagram are also suffering from the same thing. In fact, the latest statistics also reflect a huge increase in the number of people reporting their hacked Facebook accounts along with other social networks.

Today, hackers wait for a minimal opportunity to hack Facebook accounts. They not only came up with truly innovative schemes, but also focused on exploiting every tiny opportunity.

If you end up with a hacked Facebook account, all hope is not lost. Today, we have collected the best and easiest ways that you can recover your hacked Facebook account in 2023. But first, let us shed light on how hackers attack and hack Facebook accounts.

How can your Facebook account be hacked?

Hackers generally rely on two main methods, both related to data breaches, to hack Facebook accounts. The first way usually involves scenarios where a data breach occurs on Facebook itself. Such an incident occurred last year, resulting in the loss of personal data from the accounts of more than 530 million users. A normal person has very little ability to protect their account during a breach of this type.

Another way is to use passwords that are easy to guess. Your hacked Facebook account could be the potential result of retaining a reused lazy password. This makes it relatively easy for hackers to target your account simply by breaching the data of a small platform. Unlike Facebook, they are not aided by world-class security systems.

However, it does mean that you have control over such circumstances. You can use alphanumeric passwords to protect your Facebook account because they are very difficult for hackers to crack.

How will I know if my Facebook account has been hacked or compromised?

Facebook instructs its users to always be on the lookout for the following signs if they believe their Facebook account has been hacked. Facebook doesn’t send messages to report hacking, but there are several ways to flag a compromised account.

If you have even the slightest clue, the first step is to check your Facebook account for unauthorized access. Follow the given steps:

Go to your Facebook profile. Tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
Click Settings>Security>Login
Check the devices where you are logged into your Facebook account
When in doubt, tap ‘Don’t you? Unsubscribe option

In addition to the above, there are several other ways that can indicate a hacked Facebook account.

Posts in your feed that you did not write
Changes to your email, password,
Name, date of birth, and other credentials have been changed
Friend requests you didn’t send
Messages sent to people not written by you

Apart from hacked Facebook accounts, you should also be careful about fake accounts. If your Facebook account’s visibility settings are set to public, anyone can use your photo and name to set up a new account.

How to recover a hacked Facebook account?

Don’t panic if you ever find out that your Facebook account has been hacked. Without wasting a moment, carefully follow the steps that we are going to discuss in order to stand any chance of recovering your hacked Facebook account.

Change your FB password immediately

Changing the password of your Facebook account is a quick and easy procedure. Even if a hacker manages to access your Facebook account, resetting your password will sign you out of all your devices.

First, sign in to your Facebook account on a trusted device.
Now go to “Settings” and select “Privacy Shortcuts”. Mobile phone users can find this option in the “Password & Security” list.
Select “Account Security” and tap on the “Change Password” option.
Now you can easily change your password if Facebook recognizes your devices.
Don’t forget to select the “Save Changes” or “Update Password” option to reset your Facebook account password.

Hackers can sometimes change the passwords of hacked Facebook accounts to gain full access to the original user. If you see that someone has changed your password, please follow the steps below to recover your account.

Open the Facebook login page and tap on “Forgot Password”.
Enter the associated email address or mobile phone number and select “Search”.
You can choose where you want to receive the Facebook reset code (phone or email).
Enter the verification code and tap “Continue”.
Now type your new password and check the box below to sign out of your Facebook accounts from all other devices.

Checking the devices where the Facebook account is logged in

Never let an unrecognized device through if you don’t want to end up with a hacked Facebook account. The “Password & Security” page on the platform also includes an option to view “Where you’re logged in.” In case you find your Facebook account logged in from a device you don’t recognize, please do the following.

Click on a suspicious looking report.
Select the “Secure Account” option.
Just follow the steps on the screen that Facebook will now show you. These steps will guide you on how to recover your hacked Facebook account.

Sign out of applications and websites registered in FB

We often sign in to third-party apps, websites, and business integrations with Facebook credentials. To protect yourself, run a check and remove the credentials. Here you can find out about the registered applications and websites.

Make sure the payment methods are added to your Facebook account

This is for people who have set up their FB account with a payment method added. Typically, people do this to run Facebook ads for their businesses or to donate to a cause or individual. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you’ve added a payment method.

To verify, open the Facebook payment page where you can set up any credit card. Another place where you can check this is in the payment methods of Facebook ads. If there is an ad campaign scheduled, stop it.

How to report a hacked Facebook account?

Regardless of whether you can change your password or not, you should always make it a priority to report a hacked Facebook account without delay. Facebook has a special page for anyone who notices suspicious activity on their account. Go to this page and Facebook will give you all the options you can use to regain access to your hacked Facebook account.

How can I protect my Facebook account from hackers?

The key is to stay ahead of pesky hackers trying to break into Facebook accounts to avoid losing valuable personal information. Follow these tips to avoid ending up with a hacked Facebook account on your hands.

Remember to use a strong password with at least 16 characters to protect your login information.
Do not disclose or share FB credentials
Improve the privacy and security settings of your Facebook account by using the settings in the “Privacy Shortcuts” option found under “Settings and Privacy”.
Always add a second contact email address so that Facebook will send notifications in case the primary email address is compromised.
Always use the latest and most up-to-date version of the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device. This ensures better security, as older versions often contain vulnerabilities that hackers can penetrate.
Always check your device for malware or viruses
Please log out of your Facebook account when using other platform: Android/iOS/PC/Mac. This will reduce the chances of hackers accessing your account.

In addition to performing the above steps, the following are suggested.

Receive alerts about unrecognized logins

As a step to provide additional security, Facebook allows its users to receive warnings about unrecognized logins. Someone will get a message when someone tries to hack the account from a device or browser that Facebook doesn’t recognize as yours. Alerts provide details about the location and device from which the login attempt was made. This is how you can activate it:

Go to Settings > Login Settings
Scroll down to ‘Receive alerts about unrecognized logins‘. Tap Edit
Select the email account or Facebook notification option you want to receive alerts about.
Click Save

Set up two-factor authentication

To keep the account secure on the Internet, it is recommended to add two-factor authentication. This includes banking and credit card sites. You can also set up additional security with two-factor authentication apps like Google Authenticator.

Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) works on the Android or iOS Facebook app during the login process. To receive the code, there is an option to select a text message option or authenticator app. Only after you enter your username and password does Facebook send an app-generated 6-digit code to your mobile SMS or authenticator app.

Facebook Business Page Setup

For Facebook business owners and those who have a Page, it is recommended to assign admin rights to two people through Page Settings > Page Features. Please note that if a FB business account is hacked and you are the only admin, it is almost impossible to recover it.

Conclusion

There are many things you can do if you come across a hacked Facebook account. In today’s world, we can no longer afford to remain ignorant of ongoing digital crimes. Your social media account is the holder of all your valuable personal information like name, address, credit card details, etc. It’s better to be smart when using your Facebook account, think before you click on any number or website, the message will guide you.

Also keep an eye out for messages you haven’t posted, friends you haven’t added, sent money, or purchased. As Bruce Schneier says, “Hobbyists hack systems, professionals hack people“.

Categories: How to
Source: newstars.edu.vn