If your Facebook profile has been compromised you need to act immediately: here's what to do to get your social account back
Recently you have noticed something strange in your Facebook account: it is very likely that it has been hacked, i.e. that someone has managed to get hold of your login credentials and thus violate your profile. In such cases, which are unfortunately not so rare, you need to act fast.
Before explaining what to do, it is good to be sure that the account has actually been compromised. It is really a very simple procedure, executable with just a few clicks. Enter the Facebook profile settings, an action that can be performed from the browser or from smartphones and tablets. Next, click on "Security and Access". On this page, right at the beginning, you will see the "Where you logged in" option, which shows a list of devices used to log in and their respective locations. If something doesn't look right - you don't recognize the device or the place you logged in - it's possible that a hacker has been adept at "hacking" your account.
Don't be alarmed, it's still possible to get back possession of your profile and oust the intruder. Here's what to do.
Change Password
The first action to take is to change the account password immediately. Hold. Don't make the mistake of closing the open sessions: you would warn the hackers, who could change the profile password, cutting you off. Discreetly, without being discovered, change the access key. It is very easy. Still in "Protection and access", click on "Change password". At this point, all you have to do is change your password. First enter the current one and then the new private key twice. Finally, click on "Save changes". Now you can close all sessions. Make sure that you are able to log in to your profile again first.
What if the hacker anticipated you and has already changed the password? Don't worry, all is not lost. You need to reset your password. There are several methods.
From the initial Facebook login page, click on "Don't remember how to access the account anymore?" In the next window, Facebook will ask you to enter your phone number or email address, which are useful for the social to recognize your profile. Facebook will send you a code to reset the account.
Contact Facebook
If you believe that your account has been not only hacked, but used to perform a series of actions without your knowledge or you think that it has been infected by a virus, you can contact Facebook through the "Report Compromised Account" page, an option that you can use even if you have not been able to regain access with the previous solutions. The company will help you get your profile back.
Deleting Apps
Malicious apps are dangerous not only for smartphones, but also for Facebook. It's possible that your account has been hacked by just such an app. Even in such cases, fixing the problem is really very simple. Once again go to settings and then to "Apps" and finally delete the suspicious ones.
Improve Security
To prevent your Facebook account from being compromised it is very important to improve security. This means first of all choosing complex passwords and remembering to change them from time to time. It is also very useful to activate two-factor authentication, which you can always do from "Security and Access". Also remember to change the "Privacy" settings, allowing only friends to see your Facebook activity.