Facebook is gaining more and more popularity with every passing day. But we all know that not everything is secure on Facebook. Your information such as pictures, contacts, and information on your profile is prone to hacking as cyber threats are getting more common with time.
Though Facebook has made several of its security features tighter and complicated, hacking attempts are very common these days. Therefore, here is a complete article regarding how to treat and recover a hacked Facebook account.
Let’s first start with how you can identify a hacked Facebook account.
Signs of a Hacked Facebook Account
Identifying Facebook account can be tricky, but there are few signs that can help you recognize a hacked or compromised Facebook account.
Sign 1: Your email address or password has been changed
Sign 2: Facebook name or DP has been changed.
Sign 3: Your DOB or personal information is changed.
Sign 4: Your Facebook wall/timeline is loaded with posts that you’ve never posted.
Sign 5: Unknown people in your friend list.
Sign 6: Requests or messages sent to unknown people.
Sign 7: Facebook has locked your account for securing it.
How to Recover a Hacked or Compromised Facebook Account
Act Fast: Change Your Facebook Password
Whenever a person tries to filch access to your account, he/she will first reset your account password, in such a case, you will receive a notification via email or text. For example:
If you receive any notification stating that your Facebook account password has been reset by users, you need to take fast action. Make sure you change the password and update the key information before anyone else does. If you change the password before the hacker reset your account information, you can secure your data.
So, to change the Facebook password, go through the steps given below:
- Open your Facebook account and click on the downward-facing arrow and go to “Settings”
- Now, from the settings page, click on “Security and Login”
- From there, select “Change Password” and select Edit.
- Follow on-screen instructions and create a new password for your account.
Enable Two Factor Authentication
After changing the account, the next important step is to enable the “TFA” or “Two Factor Authentication”. Using this feature, no one will be able to access your FB account without your permission and this is the most effective measure to ensure complete security of your Facebook account.
After you are logged in to Facebook, click on downward-facing from the top-right corner of the screen. Then, click on “Security and login” and scroll down to locate “Two-factor authentication”, click on the “Edit” button. Then, follow the on-screen instructions and then you will receive a notification whenever someone will try to access your Facebook account.
When Facebook Password Has Been Changed
Hacking is the mission of stealing information, and it is mainly done by changing your account password so that you can’t access your account. But, for recovering your Facebook account, few simple steps can work for you. Keep reading!
Step 1: If your password has been changed, you will find the recovery option on the same page that is used to log-in to your FB login page.
Step 2: Now, click on the “Forgot Password” link from the same page.
Step 3: Facebook will redirect you to a different page for searching your Facebook account. Type in your mobile number to find your account.
Step 4: On the next screen, you need to select the recovery methods which are associated with your Facebook account. It could be an alternate email address, recovery mobile number, or Google account.
Step 5: Now you will receive a code on your email or recovery phone number.
Step 6: Copy the code and enter on the Facebook log-in page and click Continue.
Step 7: Now, create a new password for your Facebook account and repeat it to confirm.
How to Recover FB Password without Recovery Email
If hacker has changed the recovery email and you are not able to recover your password using the current recovery email, you can try a different method which is mentioned here underneath:
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- Go to the Facebook login page and click on the “Forgot Password” option.
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- Now, type-in your username and email address to let Facebook search your profile.
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- After you have been found by Facebook, click on your profile and open it to reset your password.
- Click “No longer have access to these” so that FB can find another way around to recover your password.
- You will be provided with the extended list of recovery options, and it totally depends upon how old your Facebook account is. Most of the older accounts have the security questions available to recover their FB account.
- If you are a new Facebook user, you can use “Trusted Contacts” options to retrieve your account. Your contact will receive a link and get a security code. You need to provide the code to retain your FB account.
Last but not the Least: Remove Suspicious
After you are done with recovering and securing your Facebook account, the next important thing is to remove all the suspicious apps that can act as a hazard for your Facebook account. Sometimes, we add apps to Facebook accidentally but they can steal your account information and thus “apps” sections should be cleared from time to time. So, to delete the suspicious apps, here are steps you need to follow:
- First, go to Settings of your Facebook account from the top-right corner.
- From the Settings menu, select Apps and you will be provided with all the active apps.
- Select the app which you need to remove.
- You can also click Edit Settings and check all the settings for your account. From here, you can change which all people can see this app and who can make changes in the apps for your behalf.
- Click Save to implement the changes.
Conclusion
You can’t stop hackers from attacking your Facebook account, but you can surely build a protection shield for your account, and recover your accounts from the grip of hackers by following the right recovery measures. If you follow our guide, we ensure you the complete protection and timely recovery of your Facebook account.