Facebook is not a social network for everyone as it used to be. However, you probably have photos, contacts and information on your profile that you would not like to lose access to. Blocking your Facebook account can cause serious harm even to those who do not use the platform every day.
Although Facebook is constantly improving its security features, your account can still be hacked. If you ever notice any suspicious activity coming from your Facebook account, or you just can’t log into it, act quickly.
Here’s what you can do to recover your hacked Facebook account if you believe it has been hacked.
How do you know you’ve been hacked?
There are quite a few different reasons why you might find yourself blocked from your Facebook account. Perhaps you are logged into Facebook on multiple devices, or someone reported that your account is fake. In this case, it is better to assume the worst – that you have been hacked – and immediately start taking the necessary steps to restore your account.
Some of the signs that scammers have hijacked your account include:
- Your login information (email or password) has changed.
- Your Facebook name has changed.
- Your Facebook birthday has changed.
- Messages you did not post were sent from your account.
- Posts you did not post appear on your Facebook page.
- Friend requests have been sent to people you don’t know.
How to recover a hacked Facebook account
When you notice any of this, assume your account has been hacked and act quickly to recover it.
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Recover your Facebook account with a security code
When your account information changes, you will receive an email from Facebook notifying of the change. Therefore, if you receive an email stating that your password has been changed and it is not you, please act quickly and get your account back using the security code.
- Use the link from the Facebook email or go to the Facebook login page and click “Forgot your password?”
- Enter your email address or phone number to find your Facebook profile.
- On the next page, choose how you would like to receive the security code – by email or SMS – and click “Continue”.
- When you receive the code, enter it and click Continue. Then you can reset your password.
If you do not have access to the associated email address or phone number, click No More Access to It at the bottom of the Reset Password page and follow these steps.
- On the How Can We Contact You screen, enter a new email address or phone number to contact you.
- If you have an old Facebook account, you will be prompted to answer a security question. For new accounts, Facebook uses the Trusted Contacts feature. If you have designated 3 to 5 of your friends as your trusted contacts, you can send them a special link to get a security code for you. Then you can use it to regain access to your account.
Recover access to your account using your most used device
This method may not work for everyone, but it is probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to recover your Facebook account.
- Open Facebook on the device you most often use to log into the network. To be more likely, use your home Wi-Fi network, which Facebook can also recognize.
- Go to the login page and try resetting your password.
- If Facebook recognizes your device, you can reset your password and recover your account without further verification.
Recover your Facebook account using identity verification
The newest Facebook security feature you can use to regain access to your account is identity verification. Here’s how to use it to recover your hacked Facebook account.
- Open the Facebook help center page to verify your information.
- Fill out the form with your first name, last name, email address and date of birth.
- Please attach your government issued ID to the form.
- Click “Submit” to submit information.
It will take 1-3 business days for Facebook to review your information and send you instructions on how to get back into your account.
How to secure your Facebook account
While you cannot completely eliminate the risk of your account being compromised, you can significantly reduce it by applying basic security techniques when using Facebook.
Use a strong password
The best way to protect your account from hackers is to use a strong, unique password. Make sure you don’t use it anywhere on the internet or share it with other people.
Do not provide your registration information
Scammers use fake websites to get your personal information. Learn how to spot phishing attempts, and be sure to check site URLs before entering your login information.
Another good practice is to always log out when using public computers or computers that you share with other people. Facebook also allows you to do this remotely through security settings and login.
Enable Facebook security features
Facebook offers quite a few different tools and features that you can use to protect your account. All of them are available in the security and login settings and include two-factor authentication, warnings about unrecognized logins and trusted contacts. Be sure to enable them all for maximum security.
You can check your security settings at any time by going through the Facebook security check on your computer.
Protect your Facebook account from hackers
It is much easier to take preventive measures to avoid future scams than to spend time and energy recovering a hacked Facebook account. By learning how to keep Facebook as private and secure as possible, as well as performing regular malware checks, you can protect your accounts from any future hacking attempts.
Have you ever hacked your Facebook account? What have you done to gain access to your account again? Share your Facebook knowledge with us in the comments section below.
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