What to Do if You’ve Been Hacked on Social Media

More than half of the world’s population, or 5.07 billion people, use social media. Alarmingly, a Google report found that 20% of social media accounts will be compromised at some point, meaning anyone, from teenagers to seniors, can fall victim to hacking.

The most targeted platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) — all of which millions of people use daily for communication, entertainment, business, and other purposes.

In this guide, you’ll learn what to do if you become a victim of social media hacking.

Consequences of a Hacked Account on Social Media

When a social media account is hacked, the consequences can be significant and far-reaching. Personal information such as your name, address, and contact details can be stolen and used for identity theft or sold on the dark web.

Financial information linked to the account may be exploited for unauthorized purchases, which may result in substantial financial loss. Your reputation can also suffer if hackers post offensive content or send inappropriate messages to your contacts.

Privacy breaches may occur when hackers access and share your private messages, photos, or videos. Moreover, they can use your account to launch phishing attacks on your followers, spreading malware and causing broader security issues.

In some cases, you may even lose access to your account entirely if hackers change your login and account password.

Overall, the impact of a hacked social media account can be profoundly damaging, and that’s why it’s important to take immediate action to secure your page and mitigate the risks.

Immediate Actions to Take to Safeguard Your Social Media Page

When you discover that your social media account has been hacked, the first few actions you take are crucial. These immediate steps can help you regain control of your page, cut off unauthorized access, and prevent further damage.

So, here’s what to do if you discover that your social media page has been compromised.

Change Your Password

Immediately update your password to prevent any further illicit access. If you can’t change the password because it’s already been altered, try sending a password reset request to your linked email.

As an additional security measure, change the passwords of any other accounts linked to the hacked one. This will help ensure that the hacker doesn’t gain access to your other online profiles.

Log Out of All Devices

Logging out from all devices is of paramount importance to block the hacker’s access. This action will terminate any unauthorized sessions and prevent the hacker from accessing your account further.

Most social media platforms offer an option to log out from the devices in the account settings, including your other social media accounts. Make sure to use this feature as soon as you suspect that your profile is in the hands of a hacker.

Report the Hack to the Platform

Getting in touch with the social media platform to report the hack is a critical action towards reclaiming your profile and thwarting future breaches. Most platforms have a “report an issue” or “contact us” page specifically for reporting any issues encountered on the site.

Include as many details as possible, such as the suspected time of the hack, unusual activities noticed, and any suspicious changes.

In addition to this, notify the platform about any harmful content the hacker posted on your page. You can also ask friends and family to report it to help speed up the resolution process.

Notify Your Network

Alerting your contacts about the hack is necessary to avert the dissemination of malicious content and protect them from potential scams. Post an update on your social media and send direct messages to close contacts to alert them personally.

It’s also a good idea to call your contacts instead of texting to inform them about the incident, as some might take the message as a joke and not consider it seriously.

Review Account Activity

After securing your profile and notifying your contacts, it’s time to review its activity. It will help you identify any changes and ensure that your account settings are back to normal.

Go Through Recent Posts and Messages

Look through your sent folder for messages that you didn’t send yourself, and examine your profile to see what content has been posted there. Going through your sent messages and posts for any unauthorized communication to your contacts can help you identify signs of hacking.

Pay Close Attention to Suspicious Follower Requests

New follower requests from unknown individuals can be a red flag. Hackers may send follower requests to random people in an attempt to spread malicious content, which makes it essential to know who’s following you.

For this, run a background check using the person’s full name on Nuwber, a people search engine. If they’ve mentioned their email address or phone number somewhere on the page, you can also reverse search these details to reveal who’s hiding behind the profile.

Delete Harmful Content

When dealing with social media breaches, one of the essential steps to take is to delete any harmful content from the hacked account. You should immediately remove any scam posts or random links that may have been shared on your profile without your consent. This is vital to protect not only your personal information online but also that of your family members and friends who might be exposed to these malicious posts.

Secure Linked Accounts

To ensure the protection of your online presence, securing linked accounts is a significant action to take. This will help prevent hackers from gaining access to your other online accounts and maintain the security of your current profile.

Check Linked Emails

Check your email for any notifications if the hacker changed your email address or even recovery email address on the account. Enable email notifications for any unusual login attempts to stay informed about potential security issues.

If you suspect that your email account associated with your social media might have been compromised, check for any unfamiliar email addresses with access and remove them.

Review Connected Apps

Immediately revoke access to any suspicious third party apps that you don’t recognize to prevent unauthorized access. It’s also important not to forget to remove permissions for apps that you no longer use to reduce potential vulnerabilities.

Strengthen Security Measures

To fortify the defense against future hacks, it’s vital to bolster security measures. These measures will make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your pages and help you safeguard your online presence. Here’s what you can do:

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Activate two-factor authentication to protect your social media account from hackers. Two-factor authentication often uses a combination of something you know (password) and something you have (a mobile device). This added layer of security significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized account access.

Use Strong Passwords

Create strong passwords for each account to safeguard them. A strong password typically includes a mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, symbols, and should be at least twelve characters long.

Avoid using easily guessable passwords such as “123456” or the word “password”.

Update Security Questions

Update security questions and answers to something only you would know. Choose security questions and answers that aren’t easily guessable or available in public information. This will help ensure that your accounts are protected from unauthorized access.

Prevent Future Hacks

Once your hacked social media profile is secured, it becomes indispensable to adopt robust preventive measures to safeguard all your profiles in the future. The following measures will help you achieve this:

Avoid Public Wi-Fi

Using public Wi-Fi can expose sensitive information to cybercriminals. Confirm you’re connecting to the correct network to avoid fake ones set up by hackers. If you decide to use public Wi-Fi, disable file sharing options to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.

It’s also necessary to use a VPN to encrypt your data and protect your privacy on public Wi-Fi.

Regularly Update Your Apps and Software

Frequent updates to your software and systems guarantee the installation of the latest security patches. This is essential for maintaining strong security measures and protecting your profiles from vulnerabilities.

Keeping your apps and software up-to-date will help prevent hackers from exploiting any weaknesses, as a timely scan identifies suspicious software.

Stories of People Whose Social Media Profiles Had Been Hacked

Sarah’s Struggle With Identity Theft

Sarah, a college student, woke up one morning to find her social accounts flooded with messages from concerned friends. Her Facebook and Instagram accounts had been hacked, with the intruders posting offensive content and suspicious links.

The hackers also used her personal information online to create fake profiles, soliciting money from her contacts. It took weeks for Sarah to regain full control of her accounts and repair the damage to her online reputation.

John’s Business Account Nightmare

John, a small business owner, relied heavily on his company’s social media accounts to reach customers and promote his services. One day, his business’s X account was hacked, and the perpetrators posted scam posts, offering fake deals and directing followers to malicious websites.

This not only affected John’s business reputation but also put his customers at risk. John had to work tirelessly to inform his clients about the incident, delete the harmful content, and implement stricter security measures, including updating security questions, enabling two-step verification, and creating a more complex password.

Emily’s Family in Danger

Emily was devastated when she discovered that her hacked Facebook account was being used to send random links and harmful content to other internet users. The hackers even went as far as sending phishing messages to her elderly parents, trying to extract sensitive information such as bank account numbers.

Emily quickly contacted her family to warn them and took immediate steps to secure her account.

Summary

Dealing with a hacked social media account isn’t a seamless process, but by following the essential steps, you can regain control, secure your data, and prevent future breaches.

From immediate actions like changing your password and logging out of all devices to long-term measures like enabling two-factor authentication and reviewing follower requests, each step plays a crucial role in protecting your online presence.

Remember, the key to preventing future hacks lies in staying vigilant regarding all your accounts, keeping your systems updated, and educating yourself about online security.

FAQ

My page was hacked! What should I do first?

Remember that acting fast can save your account. If you still have access, change your password immediately and enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Then, log out of all devices to force any intruders out. Next, check your security settings for unfamiliar activity and report the hack to the platform’s support team. The sooner you act, the better your chances of reclaiming control.

I’m locked out of my account! Can I still get it back?

Yes, and here’s how. Head to the login page and click “Forgot Password” to reset it. If that doesn’t work, try the platform’s account recovery process. If all fails, reach out to customer support with as much information as possible. The more details you provide, the better your chances of getting your account back.

Should I just delete my hacked profile?

Not necessarily. If you can recover it and secure it properly, there’s no need to start over. However, if hackers have done serious damage, such as using your account for scams, fraud, or impersonation, you might want to consider deactivating or deleting it. In some cases, it’s safer to start fresh than to risk further security breaches.

Can hackers use my account to scam my friends?

Absolutely, and they often do. Once hackers take over your account, they can send fake messages to your friends, asking for money, personal details, or even access to their accounts. If you’ve been hacked, let your contacts know right away and tell them not to click on any suspicious links or respond to unusual messages from you. A quick warning can prevent a bigger mess.

How long does it take to recover a hacked profile?

It depends. If you’re lucky, resetting your password could solve the problem in minutes. But if the hacker changed your recovery details or disabled your account, it could take days or even weeks to get it back. The key is persistence — follow up with support and provide any information they need to verify your identity.

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