Has one of your social media accounts been hacked? How would you know if it was – and more importantly, what should you do? The following tips tackle these thorny questions heads on!
1. Posts that you didn’t write appear suddenly on your wall!
Sounds obvious – right? But can you always tell? For instance, if several bloggers contribute posts to the same account, will you know who was supposed to post which article and when? This can be especially dangerous if you use a tool to help you share your blog posts over different social media channels. Let’s be honest: who really checks every tweet and post?
Recommendation:
If you notice unexpected posts on your social media accounts, delete them immediately and change your password. You might also want to consider a two factor authentication.
2. Somebody logged into your account from an unusual location
Most social media services these days enable you to check the location of your last logins including the devices you logged in from. So if you are in Germany and you see that someone logged in on a different continent, chances are your account was hacked.
Recommendation:
Regularly check the locations where you supposedly logged in. If you notice an open session in an unexpected location, terminate it. A step-by-step guide on how to do that in Facebook can be found here.
3. Spammy ads flood your Facebook page
Ever heard of likejacking? Spammy messages and / or posts from friends? Facebook has it all. Most of the time you’ll receive such posts / messages by friends whose accounts got hacked. Often, when you click on the links you see in those posts, you’ll get hacked yourself. No matter what: In the end the users are the losers and the cyber criminals get away without any punishment for their actions.
Recommendation:
Be careful what you click on – that goes not only for Facebook, by the way. If you hear from a friend you haven’t heard from in some time or if a friend tries to make sure you click on some link that to you sounds fishy: don’t. Contact your friend via other means than social media to make sure it’s really him.
4. You are unable to login to your account
Assuming that you didn’t simply forget your password, it might be that someone accessed your account and changed your password. Please note that if this is indeed the case, the cyber criminals most likely have also replaced the email address used to recover the password.
Recommendation:
Contact the owner of the platform (e.g.: Facebook, Twitter) – it’s the best way to claim your account back. Here are a couple of links:
- Twitter: https://support.twitter.com/forms/hacked
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hacked
- G+: https://www.google.com/accounts/recovery
- Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/149494825257596
5. You’re suddenly following a lot of new, unknown people
Are you all of a sudden following lots of new and unknown people? Malware may hijack your account and make you follow spambots on Twitter or Facebook. This then further spreads malicious URLs to more people. The same applies for a host of private messages/tweets sent from your account – unbeknownst to you.
Recommendation:
Change your password immediately. We also recommend you delete the posts and let everyone know that they should not click on the links posted from your account during the period of time when you were hacked.
We also have a couple of guides on what best to do if the above is to general for you:
I’m trying to stop pay pal they are rising me off it a scam how can I stop them getting in to my account
Hi Carys,
most probably by changing the password of your email account + changing the password of the PayPal account. For further help you need to contact the PayPal customer service directly.
Best,
István
I have found some searches have been made on my Facebook account that I did not make and a repost of a post I made back in Sep/Oct. Could this mean that I have been hacked?
Hi Mark,
This at least means that someone else had access to your account. To secure your Facebook account you should at least change the password of your Facebook account.
Best,
István
I was visiting my sister in CA, I live in CO USA. While there a weird facebook post showed up on my timeline that I did not write. How can I tell who hacked into that account? I tried viewing wifi log ins, this didn’t show another wifi user other than myself and sister. But there is a person in her complex who is known for computer
breaching, writing on google reviews, was a computer tech and is mentally ill. How can I find who got to my FB account?
Hi Carol,
Just the police might find out who was logged in to your Facebook account but of course the other person starts to upload private stuff of him-/herself.
Best,
István
I’ve had a facebook acct for quite awhile. Then all of a sudden one day, I somehow had two fb accts. I did not make up a second fb acct. I’ve tried to delete the second and keep my first, original acct, wit no luck. Has been going on three and a half weeks now. Seems impossible for me to get this straightened out, cleared up, fixed. Would appreciate help fro someone at facebook, asap. Thank you.
Hi,
please get in touch with the Facebook support here: https://www.facebook.com/help/292105707596942/
Best regards,
Your Avira team
es ist erstaunlich, was sich die digitale Welt von Microsoft bis Zuckerberg und weitere einbildet, ins Künstler für sich arbeiten zu lassen … ich weis, daß sie sich notwendig gemacht haben, aber sie werden notwendige Übel bleiben … aber die Kunst wird leben … immerhin soll der liebe Gott ûber seinem Himmelbett von jedem, wirklich jedem Künstler seiner Schöpfung ein Kunstwerk hängen haben … wenn das nicht stimmen sollte, ist’s jedenfalls gut erfunden …
die Übersetzung meines Kommentars ist leider schwer verstümmelt … bis zur Unverständlichkeit … schade! …
i think my fb acc has been hacked would love to find who was
There may be a typo in the 2nd sign:
2. Somebody logged into your account from an usual location
should be:
2. Somebody logged into your account from an unusual location
avi good
I had 4 email account with google. All my accounts hacked, my Skype and other account. I tried telling google but this guy acts like he work for google. This mourning I madedon’t some new accounts and he still controlling my accounts. Today I try to get protection for my gmail accounts. With top dog its free and now it’s saying I need a credit card. I went to the police station talk with this cop nothing they can do. They stole my snuff. Important snuff. They need to be caught. I need some help.
I think someone may have hacked my facebook account. I received a message on instance messanger. When I opened the message up it disappeared, couldn’t fine the message. What do I need to do?
This is helpful! ?
For the last 3 days I cannot log into my facebook account. All I get is a blank page, I have my password and user name. That is not the problem. I do not have anything to click on, just a blank white page. What should I do.??
I will be so nice of your help for protection of my social web site accounts.
Excuse my language but ffs every time I go and press on instergaram it turns of straight away and back to my home screen ???
My son’s Facebook page keeps getting hacked. His friends are saying he is on saying stuff to them on messenger. Some hurtful. Plus his block list was recently changed. I have checked his fb saw odd log in from a linex then deleted it and changed his password. It happened again a few days after. Had to change his password again.
Great info here, would be nice for italian people, why don’t you translate in our language 🙂 ?
Thanks for your feedback! Right now our blog is generally only available in English and German. Should this change we’ll definitely let you know. 🙂
ich bin skeh aber neugierig
I was just on Facebook and then it logged me out and I am paniking becoise im very scared ??? please help me
There is no need to be afraid – this is something that can actually happen. Just take a look at our list in the article above and check if any of it is happening to you. To feel more secure you should definitely also change your password.
Thanks for the valuable post…2 point is the most reliable one among all.
Nice blog and wonderful tips to keep your Facebook account safe.I have bookmarked your site for future reference.