I got a call from a friend this week. “Help!” she said. “My Facebook account has been hacked. Friends have been emailing me about posts supposedly from me that I know I didn’t send. I’ve already changed my password, but what else can I do?”
Changing your password is the first thing anyone should do.
To change your password, go to your Facebook log in screen and click on “Can’t log in?” Enter the email address associated with your account, then follow the prompts to reset your password.
- Choose a password that is hard to guess. I use passwords generated from a random password generator. Google “random password generator” for a list of sites. I use Norton’s. Make your passwords at least 10 digits long and include numbers, upper and lower case letters, and symbols. Don’t use any recognizable words and DON’T use the same password for multiple accounts.
- Next, log in to your Facebook account (with your newly changed impossible-to-discern password) and check your Apps You Use section for any suspicious apps the hacker might have installed. To delete apps, click edit settings and click on the X to delete.
- Post a notice to your wall that your account has been hacked and warn your friends not to click on any suspicious posts or emails they got from you.
- Make it a point to scan your posts whenever you log in looking for anything you didn’t post.
- Watch what you click on. Facebook has lots of malicious links in the news feed. Keep your browser current, as they have built-in security features.
How do you know that a friend’s account has been hacked?
If you see posts that seem out of character for your friend. I once saw a post on my wall supposedly from a friend. However, I knew that friend wouldn’t be urging me to “click here” to earn $50,000 a month by posting to Facebook. If an offer seems to good to be true, or is very out of character, email that friend and let them know about the post.
Facebook Help lists what users can do to keep their accounts safe. Check out these tips: https://www.facebook.com/help/379220725465972
