Hackers could be targeting your Facebook account. Here's how to keep them out
Thousands of people across the country have their Facebook accounts hacked each day. Scammers change their passwords and cut them off from their social media accounts.
The News 8 On Your Side team has heard from dozens of viewers with hacked accounts who are frustrated by Facebook's lack of response to the account takeovers.
"It is a big deal. It's an invasion of my privacy. It's affecting my business," said Angie Card, of York County.
It was just after 2 a.m. when Card got a notice from Facebook. An unusual login to her account was detected near Denver, Colorado.
"Immediately, I jumped in and tried to log in and get control of that back," she said.
Card wanted the account back for personal and professional reasons. The account gives her access to her private page and her business page.
"My real estate page is tied to it, but there's nothing being posted on that, but I cannot access that," she said.
On Card's personal page, the hackers made some changes.
"They've posted a billboard with my recent picture on it advertising cryptocurrency," she said.
In fact, there are several postings on her page that make it look like she is now promoting cryptocurrency.
News 8 On Your Side has heard from dozens of our viewers in the past few months about their Facebook accounts being hacked.
We reached out to Facebook on behalf of some of these viewers. We have not received a single response from Facebook.
"Social media accounts have always been interesting targets for threat actors," Selena Larson said.
Larson is a senior threat analyst with the cybersecurity firm Proofpoint. She said her firm has seen an increase in social media takeovers and how hackers use the accounts.
"For example, trying to take over more high-profile accounts to try and convince those followers to buy something or to send them money," Larson said.
Just like Card's hacker – using her account to push cryptocurrency.
"But I have reached out to a lot of my friends and past clients and said, 'Unfriend me. Report the page,'" she said.
Card is one of the few people who have actually received a response from Facebook after her account was hacked. She was told her profile does not go against community standards.
"I bet you at least 50 people I know have reported my page and what's going on. That's got to be a red flag on their side. Why would they do nothing about it?" Card said.
Answers to 3 important questions
- Why are Facebook accounts being hacked? The primary reason is money. For example, Card's hacked account is now being used to try to sell cryptocurrency.
- How does the hacking occur? There's no simple single answer for this one. You could click on a link that downloads malware into your computer. You could respond to a message from a friend of yours whose account has also been hacked.
- What can you do to protect yourself? Change your password often and make it complicated. Set up two-factor authentication and use it. Also, be very suspicious of any strangers contacting you on Facebook.
Facebook Help Center
Even though Facebook has not responded to 8 On Your Side, the social media site does have a help center for hacked and fake accounts.
Facebook writes, "If someone gains access to your account, or creates an account to pretend to be you or someone else, we want to help."
Even though Facebook does not seem to be reacting to reports of hacked accounts, it's still worth reporting if it happens to you. You can do that here.
