How to Tell if Your Facebook Has Been Hacked

There are countless ways of telling if your Facebook account may have been hacked.

Many users start receiving messages from friends who say they been contacted by your account without you knowing or sending anything. Others will notice that information on their profile has been changed, that friend requests have been sent to users unknowingly, and that posts and messages appear without being posted by the account owner.

All of these are signs that your Facebook has been hacked – with hackers often seeking to steal information and even try and trick your friends into handing over money or personal details.

So, what are some surefire ways of knowing if you’ve been hacked – and how can you stop it?

Common Signs of a Facebook Hack

The most obvious example of a Facebook hack is sharing messages and/or posts that haven’t come from the account owner. Sometimes these messages are directly sent to family and friends, perhaps asking for money. Other times, they ask users to text a certain number, under the pretence of being the account holder seeking help.

Other Facebook hacking examples and signs include:

• Personal details on your account have changed, for example your birthday on the platform
• Friend requests that you didn’t send yourself are suddenly being accepted by random users
• Your email address has changed
• Your password has changed

Any and all of these can be signs of a potentially dangerous hack – and should all result in the same few actions on your part.

Step 1: Remove All Unknown Devices

There is a page hidden within your Facebook settings that lists all the devices and locations that your account is logged into.

To find it, click on the menu in the bottom right hand corner of your screen and follow these steps:

1. Select ‘Settings and Privacy’
2. Click on ‘Settings’
3. Select ‘See More in Accounts Centre’
4. Click on ‘Password and Security’
5. Click on ‘Where You’re Logged In’
6. Navigate to the Account Login Activity of the Facebook account that you’re concerned about

Once open, you can see all of the devices that have accessed or logged into your account. If there are any listed that you don’t recognise, be sure to select them and opt to log out immediately.

Step 2: Change Your Password

If you have been hacked, or you have any suspicions that your account may have been accessed by someone other than you, you need to change your password.

You can do this by following steps 1 to 4 as listed above, and then select ‘Change Password’.

If you can remember your current password, then you won’t need any additional verification information and can change your password in one quick step – logging out of all other devices at the same time to cut ties between hackers and your account.

If you can’t remember your current password, you will need access to the linked email account to verify the action. If hackers have changed this information, you will likely need to reach out to Facebook directly to disable your account temporarily while you regain control.

Step 3: Add Extra Security

Finally, if you don’t already have Two-Factor Authentication linked with your Facebook account, then adding this is a good way to prevent future hackers from gaining access.

To add this, follow steps 1 to 4 once again but click on ‘Two-Factor Authentication’. Select your Facebook account and then choose your security method – from a specific authentication app to WhatsApp and security keys. These will help you to regain control if the worst happens and hackers block you from your own Facebook.

We hope all of this information not only helps you to identify a potential hacking but also protect your Facebook from being attacked.