Buzz
The term 'Facebook account attack' is probably no longer unfamiliar. Media outlets continually report on social media accounts, especially Facebook, being attacked on a daily basis.
On Facebook, if someone deliberately creates a new account, using your account name and profile picture, and then sends friend requests to your friends, it's not considered an account attack but rather a Facebook account impersonation.
So, what should you do if your Facebook account is under attack? Here are some ways to identify and handle the situation.
Signs of a Facebook account being attacked
If you notice (or are informed about) certain changes to your account that you didn't make, it's highly likely that your Facebook account is under attack. Some signs of a Facebook account being attacked include:
- Your personal information is updated, such as birthday, email address, password, etc.
- Friend request acceptances you didn't send.
- Messages from people you didn't message.
- Posts or statuses that you didn't write.
Firstly, you need to determine what's happening. Is your account locked? Are the posts on your timeline really shared by you? If not, here are some ways to recover if your Facebook account is under attack.
What to do if your Facebook account is under attack?
If your Facebook account is indeed under attack, first, your account might still be safe. The application doesn't access personal information like user passwords or email addresses. In this case, you should immediately change your password to secure your account.
Here are some solutions to check and recover your account in case you suspect your Facebook account is under attack:
2-factor authentication on Facebook is a widely adopted security measure today. By activating Facebook's 2-factor authentication, in addition to your password, you'll need a code sent to your phone to log in.
Check the list of apps accessing Facebook on the Web
To check the list of apps accessing Facebook on the Web, open Facebook on any browser on your computer, then click the down arrow icon in the top right corner and select Settings.
In the Settings menu, locate and select Apps.
Scroll through the list of apps and choose the ones allowed to access your Facebook account; deselect any unwanted apps.
To remove unauthorized apps from accessing your Facebook account, click on the X icon next to the app's name when you hover over it.
When you click the X icon, a popup window will appear, asking you to confirm the app removal. Click Remove to confirm.
The process may vary in speed depending on the number of apps you wish to disallow from accessing your Facebook account.
Check accessed apps on mobile devices
The basic steps are similar on both Android and iOS devices.
Firstly, log in to Facebook on your device, then press the Menu button located in the top right corner. On Android devices, the Menu button is in the top right corner (as shown on the left illustration), while on iPhone, it's at the bottom right corner (as shown on the right illustration).
Next, scroll down to find and select Account settings. On iOS devices, you first need to press Settings and then select Account Settings.
Next, scroll down to find and select Apps.
Finally, choose the Logged in with Facebook section.
The list of apps accessing Facebook is divided into categories:
- Sharing with Public: These apps can post publicly on your timeline, visible to anyone.
- Sharing with Friends: Only your friends can see the posts.
- Sharing with Only me: Only you can see these posts.
To remove an app, simply click on the app, scroll down the page, and press the Remove app button.
Click Remove to confirm app removal.
Note:
The Facebook app for iOS includes an additional step asking you to report the app if it's not functioning. You can skip this step by pressing the back button if you wish.
What to do if you're logged out of your Facebook account?
If you find yourself logged out, follow these steps to recover your account:
Firstly, visit Facebook's Hacked page. The page will prompt you with a few questions; your task is to answer them to regain access to your account.
After successfully logging in, the next step is to change your Facebook password. Mytour recommends using complex passwords, including numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters, to ensure others cannot easily guess it.
To alter your account password, return to the Settings menu, then find and click on Security and login.
Choose Change password under the Login section.
Here, Mytour has just introduced some ways for you to recover your Facebook account. Hopefully, after this article, you'll know what to do if your Facebook account is compromised. Additionally, you can explore some methods to protect your Facebook account securely, ensuring maximum safety for your personal information, data, and friends. Wishing you success.
