How to tell if your Facebook account is hacked, and what to do about it

We all love Facebook, but if you’re not careful, your security may be compromised.  From phishing, to automated spam, or simply forgetting to logout at a public terminal, there are a lot of things that might go wrong.  So, similar to what we did when we showed you how to deal with Gmail hacking, here’s a quick guide on how deal with hacked accounts on Facebook. 

1. How to check for suspicious activity on Facebook

In order to see if anything is happening behind your back here’s how you check first.

First, go to Account Settings

 

Then go to Account Security

Then you’ll see a list of recent activity.  If you see something that doesn’t look quite right, simply click the end activity button, and it remotely logs out that particular session.

2. How to get notified if a new device logs into your Facebook account

If you go to the same security menu detailed above you’ll also see an option to get notified via email or mobile phone.  This allows you to have a more proactive response to potential Facebook security risks.

3. What can you do if your Facebook account is hacked

What you’d generally do on the spot would be to reset your password right away.

However,

1. If the login email address that you normally use to log in to your Facebook has been taken over by another person (i.e., you can no longer access your email account), click here.
2. If the login email address listed on your Facebook has been removed by another person (i.e., someone has replaced your login email address with one that you do not control), click here.

If your account is spamming your friends, do also do some free checks for malware and viruses.

Of course, prevention is better than cure so do take your time to read Facebook’s extensive coverage about resolving these incidents.